AtaraxiaThis weekend we were once again in Shanghai for the Chinese Grand Prix, and we can tell you it was eventful. While the race itself wasn’t as catastrophic, rumors grew as the results of the race came in. Let’s break it all down for you.
First, the Chinese Grand Prix
This Chinese Grand Prix had plenty of surprises in store. First of all, we had the pleasure to see Hamilton won the sprint, what an incredible Saturday. But, even if the race itself wasn’t as chaotic as the previous one, there’s a lot to talk about. From the start, Alonso was forced to retire due to a brake problem… unfortunate for his team, while Stroll finished 9th. Albon had a strong weekend for his team; he even led the race for a while before finishing 7th, followed by his teammate Carlos Sainz, who finished 10th after Ferrari’s challenges.
McLaren continued their fantastic start to the season with a double podium finish. Piastri converted his pole position into a win, and Norris took second place, although it was a tough battle due to a significant issue towards the end of the race.
Verstappen kept a low profile for much of the race, staying in mid-pack. However, he came back strong in the final stages, securing 4th place, unlike his teammate, who finished 12th.
Mercedes continued their strong momentum, with another podium for George Russell, who finished 3rd, and Kimi Antonelli, who finished 6th.
The fastest lap was achieved by several drivers, including Bortoleto, but ultimately it was Hamilton who claimed it, even though it doesn’t earn him any points.
Alpine struggled this weekend, with Doohan receiving a 10-second penalty for pushing Hadjar off the track and finishing 13th. Gasly was disqualified after the race due to the car’s weight not meeting regulations.
Tsunoda unfortunately finished 16th after breaking his front wing, while Hadjar ended up in 11th place. Hulkenberg and Bortoleto finished 15th and 14th, respectively. Ocon took 5th place, and Bearman finished 8th at the end of the Chinese Grand Prix.
Finally, let’s talk about Ferrari…
What to say… Leclerc broke his front wing but didn’t replace it, which hampered him throughout the race. In a somewhat questionable strategy, Ferrari asked Hamilton to let Leclerc pass, even though it was Leclerc who damaged his own front wing by hitting Hamilton. Anyway, Leclerc struggled throughout the race, especially at Turn 13. Unfortunately, after the race, both Ferrari drivers were disqualified: Leclerc for his car’s weight being non-compliant, and Hamilton for one of his car’s parts not meeting regulations.
Lastly, this Chinese Grand Prix also sparked many rumors.
First, regarding Verstappen, many believe he won’t continue with Red Bull next year, with rumors of him possibly joining Mercedes or Aston Martin to follow his engineer. Then there’s talk of Lawson being replaced by someone from Visa Cash App, or possibly by Colapinto (with Red Bull allegedly in talks with Alpine).
There’s also a lot of speculation about Doohan, who hasn’t had a strong start to the season and might be in danger of losing his spot at Alpine. Lastly, regarding the rookies, Kimi Antonelli was crowned Driver of the Day, a great piece of news for him and his team.
