Lazy Thoughts on the Chinese Grand Prix

Welp. Looks like the universe listened to my request from yesterday. You know, the one hoping that today’s race would be more interesting?

Because damn, the universe certainly delivered.

The race was a mess before the lights even went out in Shanghai. The number of drivers who couldn’t even start the race doubled. Poor Oscar Piastri can’t catch a break with his McLaren, as an electrical issue forced him to sit the race out. At least he was joined this time by teammate and incumbent WDC Lando Norris for the same reason.

And apparently, McLaren is just weeks away from celebrating their one-thousandth race start as a constructor, only the second team ever to reach the feat. Shanghai was race one thousand for the team's entry count, and neither car could actually, well, race. How ironic.

The chaos only continued after the race began. The Aston Martin drivers predictably retired, with Lance Stroll not getting 10 laps in before being forced to pull off the track due to a battery, triggering the race’s only safety car. Teammate Fernando Alonso followed roughly 20 or so laps later from the infamous vibration issues the team can’t seem to shake off. He did, however, manage to wave at the Cadillac that cruised past him on the straight— very in-character for the two-time champion.

Perhaps the most surprising retirement of them all was Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen. It certainly wasn’t the Dutchman’s week to begin with, considering he finished just outside the points during yesterday’s sprint. Things were looking up when he started P6 (moving up a few places after the aforementioned McLaren issues), but those hopes were shattered in the final laps when a technical issue forced him out.

For a man who called his own car undriveable after qualifying, perhaps a retirement was the only ending that made sense. But it’s certainly not a good look for a team whose driver was two points away from his fifth consecutive championship last year. At least they aren’t going home completely empty-handed now that Isack Hadjar has salvaged some points.

But it wasn’t all doom and gloom today. Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli was able to go from the youngest-ever polesitter to the second-youngest race winner in history at 19 years and 202 days, almost a year older than Verstappen was when he set the current record. The Italian is proving himself not to be a one-trick pony after his successful rookie season last year, where he broke Lewis Hamilton’s record for most points scored by a first-year driver. Granted, the points system was very different during Hamilton’s maiden season in 2007*, but three podiums in one year is still an impressive feat for anyone new to the grid.

Speaking of Hamilton, the seven-time WDC finally got his maiden podium with Ferrari. It’s been a long time coming, since his first year with the Tifosi wasn’t only his first season without a single podium to his name, but also the first time in 44 years the team had a driver go the entire season without standing on the rostrum (not to mention former Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz scored two podiums with Williams, often considered a mid-level team, in the very same season).

The Brit even led the race in the opening laps before Antonelli reclaimed his position. And while he did ultimately finish third, the podium was enough for him to call it "one of the most enjoyable races […] in a long, long time, if ever." And you know what? He has absolutely earned it.

Rounding out today’s podium is Antonelli’s teammate, George Russell. There’s not much to say about his driving today. Despite the history happening in front of him and the chaos unfolding behind him, it was smooth sailing all the way to P2. It’s exactly the kind of quiet driving some championships are made of, and he remains in the lead for this year’s WDC. I’m not saying this to trash or criticize him by any means. I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again: dominance without resistance rarely makes for compelling television. And this race had plenty more to offer than a clean drive.

Besides, with only four points separating him from Antonelli, it's far too early to start engraving any trophies. We're only two races in. Who knows what will happen next?

And now, as always, the other observations I had during the race that didn’t make the main piece:

That’s all for now. Normally, this is where I’d say “see you in X weeks” for the next race, but things are a little different this time around. Yes, you will see me in two weeks for the Japanese Grand Prix, but you’ll also be seeing me before that.

With the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian races in limbo due to the Iran conflict, I’ve been seeing people on social media suggesting alternatives or replacements for April. It looks reasonable on paper, but the reality of how Formula 1 actually operates makes it a lot more complicated.

I'll be getting into all of it before Suzuka. See you then.

-F

*Antonelli scored 150 points in his rookie season, and Hamilton scored 109. But under the current points system, Hamilton would have scored about 265 points during his rookie year, over 100 more points than Antonelli!