In one of the most boring races in recent memory, McLaren proved why everyone considered them the clear favorites before the season.
Oscar Piastri could have expected the start from the most prestigious position and the Australian did not let the lead be taken away. Behind him, a serious fight was taking place, George Russell and Lando Norris were killing each other, in the end Norris forced his way past Russell and approached Piastri. Last year's winner Max Verstappen did not fare so well, losing two places immediately and, with a slight exaggeration, was actually lost in the field until the end of the race. Charles Leclerc did not do so well, after a big fight after the start he damaged his front wing, but still had more speed than his seven-time world champion teammate.
Soon the first message “Lewis, Charles is faster than you, let him go” appeared on the radio, which Lewis Hamilton, as if with great effort, followed. We also reached the first stops, but the overall picture of the race did not change fundamentally even after that: the McLaren duo of Piastra – Norris was in the lead, followed by Russell on the podium. Next were the two Haas and Alexander Albon, very promising on hard compounds, while the latter were clearly playing for one stop. As we mentioned at the beginning, to put it mildly, this was not the race of the season, but different tactics brought interesting battles here and there.
Meanwhile, Yuki Tsunoda, who had been promising all weekend and was trying to secure a place at Red Bull, was unlucky: a piece of the Japanese driver's front wing broke off without physical contact, thus losing all chances of scoring points. The last important moment was the highlight of the day, when Verstappen and Hamilton found each other and, in the spirit of 2021, fought hard for the position through the corners, which ultimately went to the Dutchman. In addition, Oscar Piastri took a smooth start-to-finish victory at the quickly forgettable Chinese Grand Prix, where he overtook Lando Norris and George Russell. Haas also deserves praise, who presented themselves with a great double points!
Photo: AP/F1
