On Sunday, April 15, 2018, at the Shanghai International Circuit, the Chinese Grand Prix will take place, marking the third race of the Formula 1 World Championship. This will be the fifteenth Chinese Grand Prix since its debut in 2004, and the oriental event has become a modern classic in the pinnacle of motorsport. Four of the top drivers have already triumphed at least once on this track, but only one has achieved it five times, earning the title of the Emperor of China, compared to the other three rulers of Shanghai. We are, of course, talking about Lewis Hamilton. The Stevenage native has a phenomenal relationship with the Shanghai track, except for his first experience in China in 2007 when he retired, effectively throwing away a already-won world title, and the unfortunate race last year when he had to start twenty-second and last, finishing in seventh place. In his other nine participations, Lewis has secured five victories (a record for this track, the latest being last year), three more podium finishes, and a sixth place. Moreover, from 2010 to 2015, Lewis never dropped off the podium, and after the setback in 2016, he returned to win on the Chinese track last year. Sebastian Vettel, after a brilliant start in Australia and Bahrain, aims for the historic hat-trick at the beginning, never achieved in his career even during the times of his four world titles with Red Bull. In Shanghai, Seb has always seen the checkered flag in his eleven participations, and in the last three years, he has finished his efforts on the podium. However, his only victory dates back to the distant 2009 when he unexpectedly snatched the win with the still young Red Bull. Two years earlier, he surprised the world by finishing in fourth place with Scuderia Toro Rosso, while his two second places are from 2011 and 2017. Doing better than the German in China is Fernando Alonso, the only driver on the grid to have participated in all editions of the Chinese Grand Prix, given Felipe Massa's retirement. The last seasons have not been easy for the Spanish talent, forced to two meager 12th places and one retirement.
However, from 2004 to 2014, Alonso always finished in the top ten in Shanghai, collecting five podiums. His record includes two victories (in 2005 with Renault and in 2013 with Ferrari), two second places (in the 2006-2007 biennium), one third place (in 2014), and three placements just off the podium (2004, 2008, and 2010, the first year with Ferrari in the race where he almost came into contact with Felipe Massa in the pit lane, pushing him into the gravel). The only other active driver to win in China is Kimi Raikkonen. The Finn has been on the podium five times, winning the dramatic race in 2007, during which Hamilton ended up in the gravel at the entrance to the pit lane, reopening the championship with just one race to go. In addition to that victory, the Finn also adds second places in 2005 and 2013, and third places in 2004 and 2008. The only other driver to have seen the podium at the Shanghai International Circuit is Max Verstappen, who climbed to the third step last year with his Red Bull Racing. Among the current drivers, only the five mentioned earlier have at least one podium in Shanghai, while Daniel Ricciardo has three fourth places to his name, in 2014, 2016, and 2017. Sixth place is the best result in China for Valtteri Bottas, Romain Grosjean, and Nico Hulkenberg. While the Finn arrived in 2015 with Williams and last year with Mercedes, the Frenchman archived it in 2012 with Lotus, and the German in 2014 with Force India. Speaking of teams, Mercedes holds the record for all-time victories with five, ahead of Ferrari with four. Four different drivers have been employed by the Maranello team (Barrichello, Schumacher, Raikkonen, and Alonso), while the Anglo-German team has had two (Hamilton and Rosberg). In qualifying, Mercedes has secured six consecutive poles in the last six years, and Hamilton has also achieved six poles, two with McLaren and four with the team he currently races for. Ferrari's only pole in Shanghai dates back to the inaugural edition in 2004, and it was won by Rubens Barrichello. In the usual press conference held on Thursday, April 12, 2018, Kimi Raikkonen returns to talk about the pit stop in the previous Bahrain Grand Prix, which effectively penalized his performance:
"There are many questionable things. We are always trying to gain an advantage in every aspect, but unfortunately, what happened was far from ideal. And the result was the injury to our mechanic. But as far as I'm concerned, the only thing I have to do is follow the traffic light and restart when it's green".
Kimi is very matter-of-fact in analyzing the situation:
"When it turns green, in a second, I'm already off. There's nothing to be done. There are probably a lot of things that could have been done differently. But it went that way, and we paid the price for it".
But he absolutely doesn't want to hear about misfortune in what happened:
"I don't know if it's bad luck; in fact, I don't think this situation has anything to do with luck, to be honest. Maybe with a safety car, you can attribute it to good or bad luck, but not in this case. It's about mechanisms we need to improve. It's definitely disappointing to have such a negative result at the beginning of the season".
Daniel Ricciardo, who retired in the early laps of the Bahrain Grand Prix due to an electrical issue, explains that he would have had no qualms about attempting to overtake his former teammate, Sebastian Vettel. This is something Valtteri Bottas didn't do in Sakhir.
"I would have definitely done it 100%. I would have tried it; there was a gap to those behind, and even in case of an error, I would still have ended up in second place. When you're on the last lap and have the opportunity to win, you must always try. How it would have gone, I couldn't say. I don't know, I don't want to say that I would have won, but you can bet that if I found myself in those conditions on the last lap, I would have definitely tried".
However, Bottas insists that he wouldn't change anything about his approach if he had the chance to experience the same scenario again.
"I've reviewed everything, and if I could relive the situation, I wouldn't do anything differently. It's easy to say from the outside: You should have done it. We analyzed all the scenarios, and it's almost impossible to say which would have been the best: after every race, there's always something you could do better, and probably in the second stint, we could have tried to put more pressure on Sebastian because we had a good pace. But what would have happened in the end with the tires, that's a question mark".
With fifty points from the two races so far, Sebastian Vettel leads the Drivers' Championship, with a perfect score, 17 points ahead of Lewis Hamilton and 28 ahead of Valtteri Bottas. Rain and clouds are forecasted for the weekend, with cooler weather compared to Sakhir, as confirmed by the German driver:
"I've seen the forecasts, but you never know. It will clearly be cooler than Bahrain. It's a different circuit; the first races have been quite different, and it's not easy to predict the course of the third. I think if we look at it globally, from tests to races, Mercedes remains the favorite".
For Vettel, the work to be done in the free practice sessions will be crucial:
"Clearly, we'll try to achieve a different result. We need to do our homework correctly, find the right balance of the car, and put everything together, so it could be a good weekend".
Vettel also talks about the victory in Melbourne, facilitated by the Virtual Safety Car:
"What happened in Australia can happen, and it happened the other way around to us last season. I don't think it's about being clever".
And in Bahrain, with a masterful performance and a change of tactics underway, he managed to repeat it.
"We had a different strategy for the race, but we wanted to win, so we modified it. And it worked. In a sense, in the situation we were in, we had nothing to lose; in the worst-case scenario, we would have ended up in third place. We took a risk, and it paid off".
Vettel confirms, however, that the setup work on the SF71h during Friday's free practice in Shakir helped him a lot in understanding the Maranello car.
"I had more confidence, a better feeling. I don't know how to explain it, but if you feel more confident and the car responds to your inputs, you ultimately go faster, and you know what to expect. You can anticipate reactions, and overall, you're happier. I think the most significant step forward this weekend was made by working on the setup. Now, Shanghai is a completely different circuit with completely different conditions. Usually, it's a bit colder there, so we'll see where we end up. But yes, it's challenging to get everything right, and setup is crucial for us. It seems a bit more challenging to get into the right operating window, but if we feel comfortable over the weekend, I'm pretty confident that we can do well in China too".
However, the German driver remains convinced that the potential of the top three teams on the grid, Ferrari, Mercedes, and Red Bull, is currently unreachable for their pursuers.
"It's clear that we have to improve; we have to improve our car, our package, and I imagine everyone is trying to do the same. So, the competition is very tight. Needless to say, Valtteri and Lewis are pushing quite hard, and Kimi is doing the same. The two Red Bulls, with Max and Daniel, are also focused on giving their best, but then there's a bit more of a gap. In any case, I believe that these three teams and their six drivers are very close to each other".
Only four days have passed since the Bahrain Grand Prix, and inevitably, some topics are still hot. One of these is undoubtedly the incident involving Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. Inevitably, the presence of the Red Bull driver in the Thursday press conference of the Chinese Grand Prix leads to a series of questions about the episode.
"It's racing; sometimes it goes in your favor, sometimes it doesn't. You can say what you want about the incident; I think it was a normal accident, a normal situation, nothing crazy or too risky, but unfortunately, it didn't go well for me. If we look back at Mexico last year, the maneuver had worked; this time, perhaps we didn't give each other enough space".
The young talent explains that he hasn't spoken to Hamilton yet, expressing surprise at the attention the incident has received:
"Maybe I can talk to him if it's really necessary, but why should I change anything? I don't think I did anything wrong from the approach point of view; I simply tried to overtake a car, and I think it was a calculated risk on my part, so I tried to take it, as in Mexico. It's racing; these are straightforward situations. I don't know why everyone is so interested in this topic; they're just accidents that happen in a race".
When asked why Hamilton reacted that way to the images of the incident, Verstappen responds:
"Why it's easy to blame the younger driver, that's the only way I can interpret what he said. These things happen, there's no reason for me to change anything".
The Dutchman, however, will not change his approach:
"It's always important to score points, but we're here to finish on the podium or win races, and that's what I'll try to do this weekend. So, for me, there will be no change".
Verstappen is still confident of achieving a result that will boost his underwhelming start to the season:
"The car is very fast, especially in the race. We know that in qualifying, we lose a bit in terms of pure performance and top speed, but when these factors matter less, i.e., in the race, things balance out. I was really confident before the last race that I could recover several positions because I thought the car could definitely bring me back to fight for the podium, so I'm looking forward to starting here because I believe we have a good package. There are many promising things, so I'm ready to restart".
Finally, talking about the reliability issues in Bahrain, the Dutchman expresses his confidence in Renault, emphasizing that what happened had precedents:
"The main problems were on Daniel's car, very similar to what I had in Canada last year and also in this year's tests. It's definitely something we need to look into; it's something that Renault has to solve, and they're really working hard on it. They will try their best to provide us with the best equipment here as well. In the end, if it happens, it's an unpredictable thing".
As for the incident with Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton also expresses his opinion:
"I believe that if Alonso had been in that car, he would have finished a decent race and collected points for Red Bull. I like to think that I would have been able to reach the top ten with that car too. Max is a young driver, still learning. He has fantastic pace, but like all young drivers, he doesn't always make the best decision. I hope he learns from every situation. I experienced it firsthand when I was younger, and I know how easy it is to forget respect for others".
He concludes by saying:
"I would like to hear Christian Horner's opinion on why they have a car that should get good results and, I don't know if it's due to inexperience or immaturity, they are not getting them. They should have finished in an acceptable position because the car was competitive enough".
Mercedes' Technical Director, James Allison, analyzes what happened in Bahrain:
"Probably, we were a bit slow to understand the threat posed by Vettel, who decided to go all the way with the soft tires. We expected him to pit again, but instead, he was able to preserve his tires until the checkered flag. Valtteri managed to close the gap to Vettel three laps from the end, however, we weren't good enough to overtake him. Perhaps, if the race had had one or two more laps, the result would have been different, but we reacted a bit too late and couldn't win the race".
The English engineer also stated that tire wear was not a concern for Mercedes, and it was not the reason that prevented Bottas from getting closer to Vettel earlier to attempt an attack in the final stages of the Bahrain Grand Prix.
"This year, the tire wear of our car has been very good so far and generally better than the rest of the group. Knowing whether the soft tires would have lasted as long as Sebastian's, we would have known only by trying. My assumption is that we could have done it too because our car is excellent at tire management".
Arriving in China for the third race of the season, Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff admits that victory narrowly eluded them on both occasions, and for this reason, it will be important to react immediately in Shanghai because the potential of the car is there, but efforts are needed to translate it into performance.
"This has not been the start of the season we had hoped for. For two races in a row, we have limited the damage with one car and lost the win with the other. Both races were decided by rather narrow margins, but that doesn't make things better; in fact, it probably makes them more frustrating. The competition is extremely tight in 2018, and Melbourne had already been a strong reminder that there is absolutely no room for imperfections or errors in this year's title fight".
He adds:
"In Bahrain, we saw a completely different race and one that we lost for different reasons. However, the message remains the same: to win, we need to raise the level of our performance. I think the team showed the right reaction after the checkered flag because instead of being satisfied with the double podium achieved, everyone realized that the second and third positions were the minimum result we should have expected. Whether Raikkonen and the two Red Bulls had stayed in the race or not. So we started analyzing what went wrong to make progress for China. We are quite pleased that it's a back-to-back race, as it means we won't have to wait long to get back to racing. Shanghai has always been a good track for us, so I hope we will have the opportunity to correct mistakes and show a performance worthy of Mercedes".
Valtteri Bottas, who brought his Mercedes to second place in Bahrain, also admits that there is still work to be done on the W09:
"I think this weekend has really opened our eyes in terms of how much we still have to work with the car. In certain conditions, it is very fast, but both Saturday and Sunday, we identified some weaknesses. It was an important weekend, but we must make sure to continue improving the negative aspects of the car compared to Ferrari".
The Finn explains the difficulties encountered so far, especially in certain conditions, at the wheel of his car:
"When you close the gap with a car in front and reach it, in braking, you lose some aerodynamic load. This is because you travel in the turbulent wake that mainly hits the front, and therefore it is a bit easier to lock the wheels. These are the first races, but in any case, our pace has proven to be better than we expected it to be before arriving in Australia".
On Friday, April 13, 2018, during the first practice session, with fairly low temperatures, Mercedes showed its competitiveness, with Lewis Hamilton, on soft tires, being the only one to go below the 1'30"0 limit, albeit only by 0.001 seconds.
The World Champion precedes Kimi Räikkönen by almost 0.4 seconds, who instead uses Ultrasoft compound tires. Behind the Ferrari driver is the compatriot Valtteri Bottas, who precedes the two Red Bull Racing cars and Sebastian Vettel, more focused on finding the setup for the race. The track, still not very rubberized, and low temperatures favor several driving errors, which, however, do not lead to consequences for the cars. In the afternoon session, the gap between the top four drivers in the standings is reduced to only 0.1 seconds, with Hamilton, still the fastest, preceding Kimi Räikkönen by only 0.007 seconds. The session is characterized, in addition to low temperatures, by strong winds, which precede the arrival of rain towards the end of the session. The cars show some difficulty in using Ultrasoft tires, which show very rapid degradation. Max Verstappen sets the fifth-best time, while the other Red Bull driver, Daniel Ricciardo, does not complete his best lap due to technical problems, finishing the session with the ninth-best time. Also in this session, there are small incidents, including that of Romain Grosjean, who damages his Haas, while Charles Leclerc spins when, in the final part of the session, he switches to intermediate wet tires due to the arrival of rain. At the end of the practice, McLaren is fined 5,000 euros for sending Stoffel Vandoorne onto the track during the session with not all the tires properly secured to the car. The first day of practice in China showed great balance between Ferrari and Mercedes, with the four drivers enclosed within 0.1 seconds at the end of FP2. Of the four, Sebastian Vettel was the slowest, but he says he is satisfied with the work done:
"In Bahrain, I was much happier; here, we are not yet where we want to be. We are still looking, and if anyone has any smart suggestions, they are welcome! I think, as I said, finding the ideal solution is difficult, but if you do, you can unleash the pace. I believe that on this track, it is very important to find the right setup and the right feeling with the car. The track is long and stresses the tires. But, in general, we are quite close. However, the car is not yet where I want it to be. I think the SF71H has the pace, but we need to make sure everything is set up correctly. Today was a fluctuating day, but I think it went better in the afternoon, and I was happier. I hope to be even more so tomorrow".
Unfortunate incidents aside, Kimi Raikkonen confirmed feeling comfortable with the Ferrari SF71H. The Finn was faster than Sebastian Vettel in both practice sessions and in the afternoon, he closed just 0.007 seconds behind Lewis Hamilton's time.
"It was a good Friday, and I'm quite happy with the feeling I had with the car. I think we have a good base to start from. The car has been 'honest' from the beginning, so it's easy to work on tuning some things. There was traffic during one of my laps, and I'm sure we could have gone faster. In the long runs, we never had a precise idea of the situation due to the conditions: it started raining, and we had to come in, so it's a bit difficult to know where we stand. Today we were close, but tomorrow, who knows how the weather will be; things can change a lot from one day to the next".
As mentioned, Lewis Hamilton was the fastest in both practice sessions. The British driver, at the end of the day, said:
"The Chinese track has the longest straight in the world, except for Baku, so Ferrari can take advantage of the advantage given by the power unit. The free practice sessions went well; we covered the kilometers we wanted, but we are all very close, and it will be necessary to find everything the car has to beat Ferrari. We need the best from all of us; we have to be perfect".
While Valtteri Bottas finished the second free practice session in third place, behind Lewis Hamilton and compatriot Kimi Raikkonen.
"Fortunately, the rain only arrived at the end of the second session, leaving us almost all the time to run on dry in the first free practice session. I had some balance problems that we managed to solve profitably for the afternoon 90 minutes, but there is still something to fix. The car is fast but not easy to drive. Grip increased lap after lap, but the rain will take away some rubber, and tomorrow we will start from scratch, hoping the qualifying will be dry".
Only ninth at the end of the second session in Shanghai, Daniel Ricciardo admits to having had some difficulties, especially with the performance of the Ultrasoft tires that he couldn't manage well during the single lap.
"Today I didn't find a good balance. Generally, with the harder compounds, I felt more comfortable, and once we put on the ultrasoft, we didn't have much speed. I felt that the tires degraded a lot in the first sector, and the lap time didn't improve much after the first three or four turns. I don't think it's a disaster; I don't even know how much we will use the ultrasoft in the race, but in any case, we want to add some performance with this tire that doesn't seem to last long. So, we need to find performance in this regard and understand where we are losing. Of course, I know what's not working on the car, but we need to find the answers and change for tomorrow. The long runs with the mediums and softs went much better, and I'm confident we can find the missing speed. Overall, we're not doing too bad, and I hope we can be in the fight with Ferrari and Mercedes".
Ricciardo is also convinced that he won't escape a grid penalty in the near future, as Red Bull was forced to replace the ERS battery on his RB14.
"We have another one (battery, editor's note), but if it happens again, we will have a penalty. Two must last for a year, but in Bahrain, we already threw one away, and only one remains after two races. It's likely that we'll have to undergo a sanction; I'm 90% sure. I just hope it can happen as late as possible".
It's the second such failure for Red Bull since the beginning of the year, but despite this, the Australian driver doesn't get discouraged:
"I was disappointed, but it's too early to be frustrated. I don't think that's the right mentality at the moment. Of course, I'm sorry for the result; I would have wanted to break something, but not to the point of being frustrated".
On Saturday, April 14, 2018, during FP3, characterized again by low temperatures and wind, the two Ferrari drivers, Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen, set the best times. The track is also damp at the beginning of the session. Sebastian Vettel, on Ultrasoft tires, leads his teammate, Kimi Räikkönen, by 0.451 seconds. Valtteri Bottas follows, ahead of Max Verstappen, while Lewis Hamilton is fifth and makes several driving errors. Red Bull's other driver, Daniel Ricciardo, completes only four laps before his Renault power unit fails. The Australian had also experienced gearbox issues. Romain Grosjean's Haas, on the other hand, experiences a problem with the right rear brake disc, catching fire and forcing the French driver to wait for mechanics to complete the lengthy repair. McLaren's Belgian driver, Stoffel Vandoorne, is slowed down by telemetry malfunctions. A few hours later, at the start of qualifying, which begins as usual with Q1, Sebastian Vettel sets a very interesting time in the first phase, close to the track record. However, both Renault drivers, Nico Hulkenberg and Carlos Sainz Jr, as well as Daniel Ricciardo, exit late. Kimi Räikkönen reports a few raindrops via radio. Charles Leclerc spins but avoids contact with the barriers. Rain seems to avoid the track, and with just over three minutes left in Q1, Ricciardo makes his first attempt. Despite making a mistake, the Australian manages to qualify for the next phase. Sauber's drivers, Charles Leclerc and Marcus Ericsson, as well as Williams' drivers, Lance Stroll and Sergej Sirotkin, and Pierre Gasly, are eliminated. In Q2, the two Ferraris are the fastest again, with Kimi Räikkönen faster than Sebastian Vettel this time. Lewis Hamilton lags behind, reducing the gap to the Ferrari driver from Finland to 0.6 seconds only on his second attempt. Behind them, the battle for promotion to Q3 is tight, with only 0.3 seconds between the ninth and twelfth times. After setting the best time with Soft tires, Ferrari's drivers try to improve using Ultrasoft tires, which would also affect the choice of tires at the start of the race.
However, the Maranello team does not improve their times. In the final part of the session, Lewis Hamilton sets the best time. The two McLaren drivers, Fernando Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne, as well as Kevin Magnussen, Esteban Ocon, and Brendon Hartley, are eliminated. In Q3, on the first attempt, Kimi Räikkönen sets a new track record, turning 0.1 seconds faster than Sebastian Vettel. The Mercedes drivers are 0.4 seconds behind the two Ferraris, while the third row is occupied by the two Red Bull Racing drivers, Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo. Valtteri Bottas improves on his second attempt but remains far from the Ferraris, while Lewis Hamilton does not complete the second fast lap. Kimi Räikkönen manages to lower the limit again, but shortly after, Sebastian Vettel sets the best time and secures the second consecutive pole position. For Ferrari, two consecutive pole positions haven't happened since 2012. Mercedes, for the first time in the turbo-hybrid era, since the beginning of the 2014 season, does not achieve pole position for two consecutive races. At the end of the session, Marcus Ericsson is penalized with a loss of five grid positions and three points on the Super License for not respecting yellow flags in Q1. The penalty is only theoretical, as the Swede had qualified twentieth, and therefore last. Sebastian Vettel confirms his expertise in the last attempt of Q3. In Shanghai, the German improves Kimi Raikkonen's time by 0.087 seconds, mainly thanks to the time set in the final sector, allowing him to overtake the Finnish driver, who was not flawless in that section in his final lap.
"In my first lap, I made mistakes in turn 3 and also in turn 6. I made a mistake on the throttle and had oversteer, so I knew that if I had a clean lap, it would help me. The tires are very sensitive; I knew that by finishing the final part of the lap cleanly, I would do better, and that's how it turned out. I managed to put together all the sectors, and I knew that time was possible; of course, I didn't know what the others were doing, although this time the wait was quite short; I was one of the last to cross the finish line".
Ferrari inflicted a significant gap on Mercedes, which remained over 0.5 seconds behind. A result that was not expected, considering the characteristics of the Shanghai circuit and the low temperatures of these days:
"The cold is not so bad for us who are in the car, maybe it is more so for you journalists who have to keep taking off and putting on your jacket. Making the car, the setup, and the tires work is not that simple. Today there was quite a bit of wind, even though it decreased a bit during qualifying. Then in Q3, we started to feel gusts again, so it wasn't easy to find the right feeling, but when the car is fast and works, of course, you gain a lot of confidence, and that helps. Today is cold, it's true, we didn't expect to be so strong compared to Mercedes in particular, but also to Red Bull. Tomorrow, I believe the forecasts speak of sunshine, and surely the asphalt will be much warmer, but I hope that tomorrow we will all be very close".
Losing the top position leaves Kimi Raikkonen a bit disappointed:
"Obviously, it's not the result I wanted. It went pretty well until the last sector. Nothing special happened; I just lost a bit of speed, and I'll have to check what happened. Clearly, though, I wanted more, but tomorrow is another day, and we'll see what we can do".
Starting from the second position doesn't take away the Finnish driver's desire to fight for the first place:
"I believe the goal will be victory, but first of all, we must have a clean race, take advantage of our opportunities to the fullest, and then we'll see. Surely we must make sure not to have any problems to finish the race. The key will simply be to be fast all the time and see how the race develops".
Valtteri Bottas tries to salvage Mercedes' honor and qualifies in the third position, almost half a second behind Sebastian Vettel:
"Today was a rather straightforward day. During qualifying, we progressively understood the tires better and put together the various sectors. But evidently, the Ferraris had better grip than us today".
Lewis Hamilton had to settle for the fourth position on the starting grid, behind his teammate Valtteri Bottas, as was also the case in Sakhir. The Englishman didn't even attempt a final lap, returning to the pits without completing it. A glimmer of hope for the reigning World Champion comes from the performance of the W09 with the Soft tires, the ones that will be used at the start, in Q2, where Hamilton was faster than the Ferraris.
"I'm not really sure what went wrong. We did well yesterday, but today it was much cooler, and we certainly didn't find the temperature for the tires".
Hamilton focuses on the extra power available to the Ferraris in Q3:
"In the end, they had more power, as in the last few races, especially in qualifying, and that put them ahead of us".
He relies on the increase in temperatures for the race:
"We have to keep working hard. Tomorrow will be a very different day, it will be warmer, and we will give it everything we have. In hot conditions, Ferrari has always been stronger, but in the last race, we were stronger than them, so who knows. Today's result, however, says we are half a second behind".
And, of course, Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff also hopes for an improvement in the race:
"Tomorrow will be warmer, and I hope we can make the right adjustments. We have a better race pace than Ferrari. However, there aren't many strategic options available. With the right pace, we might try the undercut or the overcut".
Wolff is honest in admitting his surprise at Ferrari's performance:
"We didn't expect Ferrari to be so strong, competitive throughout the day. Their performance in qualifying put them on the front row, and we really need to work hard to understand how to improve".
If Lewis Hamilton speaks of extra power shown by the Maranello cars in qualifying, the Austrian manager focuses on the tire work.
"It's complicated because we lack grip. If the tires become too hot or too cold, it's easy to go out of the right usage window. In Bahrain, we suffered both, so I believe it's a tire problem".
Red Bull monopolizes the third row at the end of the qualifying session for the 2018 Chinese Grand Prix. But the 0.7-second gap between the pole-sitter and Max Verstappen, fifth, suggests that the RB14 could be the third force in the field and increasingly distant - at least on a single lap - from the rivals of Mercedes and Ferrari.
"We found a good balance with the car, and the driving feel was positive, so I don't think we could have achieved much more. I mean, realistically, the fifth position is where we should have been. However, I don't think the engine managed to extract the maximum power in Q3, as we lost time on both straights".
The attention is also focused on strategies, with Verstappen and Ricciardo starting the race on Ultrasoft tires, unlike the drivers in the first two rows who will opt for a one-stop strategy starting with Soft tires:
"We can do something different, but it will also depend on the track temperatures and degradation. We hope to have a clean start, then we'll see if it's possible to climb the group and secure a podium".
The dominance of Ferrari and Mercedes in China allowed both teams to qualify with Soft tires in Q2, a choice not shared by Red Bull, which preferred not to take risks and relied on Ultrasoft tires in the penultimate qualifying session. Mario Isola, Pirelli Motorsport Director, says:
"The lower temperatures compared to yesterday have certainly helped the Ultrasoft, a compound that favors lower temperatures. However, the situation could change again, as warmer conditions are expected tomorrow. Qualifying was a bit more challenging than expected, given that yesterday's rain cleaned the track, leaving minimal grip. Consequently, the drivers had to pay special attention to tire warm-up today. Despite this, Vettel set the new circuit record. Q2 turned out to be crucial for the strategy: tomorrow both Mercedes and Ferrari drivers will start with soft tires. From a tactical point of view, many strategies are possible in the race, including one-stop strategies. Thanks to this tire selection, all three compounds can play a crucial role in the race".
On Sunday, April 15, 2018, at the start of the Chinese Grand Prix, Sebastian Vettel squeezes Kimi Räikkönen to one side, allowing Valtteri Bottas to pass into second position; Max Verstappen also manages to pass Kimi Räikkönen, who drops to fourth place, followed by Lewis Hamilton. Daniel Ricciardo is sixth, followed by the two Renault drivers, Nico Hulkenberg and Carlos Sainz Jr. Positions remain unchanged until lap 12 when Carlos Sainz Jr. returns to the pits and switches to Medium tires. During lap 13, Nico Hülkenberg also pits for a stop. The two Red Bull Racing drivers wait until lap 17 to make their pit stops, which are done in sequence: both cars switch to Medium tires. During lap 18, Lewis Hamilton also changes tires and re-enters the track ahead of Kevin Magnussen; the Danish driver is later overtaken by Daniel Ricciardo. Valtteri Bottas makes the pit stop during lap 19, while Sebastian Vettel waits until lap 20 before making the stop. A small mistake in the tire change prevents the German driver from rejoining in front of Valtteri Bottas. Kimi Räikkönen takes the lead, but due to worn tires, he relinquishes the first position to Valtteri Bottas during lap 27; the Finn also lets Sebastian Vettel pass, keeping the Mercedes driver close. Shortly after, Kimi Räikkönen pits. During lap 31, Brendon Hartley is hit by his teammate, Pierre Gasly, at the end of the long straight. The presence of debris on the track forces the race direction to deploy the Safety Car. The Red Bull Racing team decides to bring both cars back to the pits to switch to Soft tires. At the restart, Valtteri Bottas is still in the lead, followed by Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, Kimi Räikkönen, and Daniel Ricciardo. The two drivers from the Anglo-Austrian team take advantage of the new tires and make a remarkable comeback. In lap 37, Daniel Ricciardo overtakes Kimi Räikkönen; shortly after, Lewis Hamilton withstands an attack from Max Verstappen, who is forced off the track, being passed by Daniel Ricciardo. The Australian overtakes Lewis Hamilton in lap 40, and during lap 41, the British driver also loses his position to Max Verstappen. In lap 43, Max Verstappen collides with Sebastian Vettel's Ferrari in an overtaking attempt. The German driver loses several positions, finishing sixth, with a car not in perfect condition. During lap 44, Daniel Ricciardo also overtakes Valtteri Bottas, taking the lead of the race. Kimi Räikkönen, taking advantage of the struggling conditions of the tires on Lewis Hamilton's car, moves up to third place, while Sebastian Vettel drops to sixth, behind Nico Hülkenberg. In the final laps, the British driver loses a position to Max Verstappen, while Sebastian Vettel is passed by Fernando Alonso two laps before the end.
Max Verstappen approaches Kimi Räikkönen without success, who, in turn, is close to Valtteri Bottas. Daniel Ricciardo wins the Chinese Grand Prix, marking his sixth career victory. Valtteri Bottas finishes second, followed by Kimi Raikkonen, Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, Nico Hulkenberg, Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel, Carlos Sainz Jr., and Kevin Magnussen. At the end of the race, the FIA decides to penalize Max Verstappen by ten seconds on the total time, judged guilty in the incidents with Sebastian Vettel and Pierre Gasly, and for the incident with Brendon Hartley. Max Verstappen, who originally finished fourth, thus drops to fifth place, while Pierre Gasly drops from fifteenth to eighteenth place. Both drivers also lose two points on the Super License. The public's vote on social media at the end of the Chinese Grand Prix is not surprising, as Daniel Ricciardo wins the Driver of the Day award. The race winner has indeed been the protagonist, which is most important for fans who usually participate in the official Formula 1 survey, with a series of exciting overtakes.
"I wouldn't know if this is or isn't my sweetest victory. When I win, it's never boring; it's always quite entertaining. It was a completely unexpected victory; twenty-four hours ago, I thought I would start from the back of the grid. Thanks to the guys for the work they did yesterday; they got me out in qualifying, and they got the reward for their effort. Thanks to Red Bull and the mechanics".
About the second pit stop?
"It was a hectic moment; I heard there was a Safety Car at turn 4, and they told me to quickly return to the pits. Everything happened very quickly, and it was a decisive move. Thanks to the team, it was their move that made us win. The pass on Lewis? Sometimes you have to go on instinct, and I had a lot of fun. We had soft tires, I knew I could brake later. Sometimes there's only one opportunity, and I tried to seize it to the fullest. The pass on Bottas in turn 6? We were close; it was tough but a fair maneuver. I saw him defending, I knew there would be space and tire grip. Going wide, I would still have another chance to pass him".
Regarding the executed overtakes, what does the Australian driver have to say?
"I liked them all, but the most important one was on Valtteri Bottas for the victory. After turn 3, I made my decision; he squeezed a bit, but there was still space inside. It was a really nice feeling. Yesterday, the guys did an amazing job, and today the strategy helped me a lot. The decision to switch to soft tires after the Safety Car entry was a really crucial one. This victory was very important, and everyone worked at 100% to achieve it. It seems like a somewhat different success than the others, although I can't explain why. This year will be interesting to see how things go, but I'm not thinking about it now. Every Sunday, I want to give my best, and today I'm excited because I had the opportunity to win, and I seized it. This makes me really proud".
The Australian, who seemed to be the most struggling among the top drivers, has overturned expectations and brought the RB14 powered by a Renault power unit, replaced before qualifying, to the top step of the podium. A great team effort starting from that engine change in record time, while in the race, it was the team's right reaction during the neutralization that initiated Daniel Ricciardo's climb to success. They seized the opportunity by being able to bring the cars into the pit lane, while those ahead had already passed and did not have this luck. A victory that, however, came mainly thanks to Daniel Ricciardo's perfect overtakes on Valtteri Bottas and Sebastian Vettel, who were fighting for victory from the early laps. Valtteri Bottas says about it at the end of the race:
"The race was going quite well for us. We seemed strong throughout the race until the Safety Car came, and some cars stopped. I couldn't avoid Daniel's pass, and in the end, I had to hold off Kimi. It's a shame after everything we had done. I feel like we deserved this victory, but it didn't happen today. It felt like everything was under control; without a big tire drop, we could have made it".
The extraordinary performance of Daniel Ricciardo simultaneously overshadows his teammate, Max Verstappen, who, despite employing the same strategy with both making double pit stops, including the winning one under Safety Car conditions, once again made a mistake where Ricciardo excelled: overtaking. Red Bull Racing advisor Helmut Marko commented on this:
"We lost a one-two. Our car was fast, and we could have easily secured the first and second positions. Max tried to overtake Vettel; he shouldn't have done it that way. But he apologized, and it was a racing incident. He made a mistake, and these things happen. Ricciardo is really good at overtaking, Max is not. He needs to control himself. I told him his time will come, that he shouldn't overdo it and be calmer. He knows what he lost. He threw away a victory. But he is very young, only twenty. Hindsight is easy, but the contact with Sebastian was entirely my fault. I misjudged the situation and compromised the race for both of them. Unfortunately, now I can't do anything to change what happened, except analyze my performance and come back even stronger".
Even Max Verstappen's father, Jos Verstappen, admits:
"The overtaking on Vettel was not possible; it was a result of a misjudgment. In some situations, Max just needs to think more. I don't want him to change his driving style. In the beginning, he passed two opponents perfectly. That's what everyone wants to see. But we don't want to see these kinds of actions. He needs to control himself and reflect. I will meet him tomorrow. Last weekend was very difficult, but we have to talk about it and analyze what happened normally. These things shouldn't happen. He already knows it; I don't have to tell him much".
Is Jos Verstappen angry with his son?
"Angry is not the right word, but I am disappointed. However, it is more disappointing for himself. I don't think there was anything wrong. I still think it was a good move. In hindsight, one could say that Max should have given more space to Hamilton, but Lewis could have done the same with Max. That's why it's a racing incident, and both have to take the blame. It was a good move because with his Red Bull, whose top speed is lower than that of Mercedes, he had to take an extra risk".
Max Verstappen, on his part, rejects accusations of excessive aggressiveness and says:
"Maybe I shouldn't calm down but supervise the situation a bit more. I don't think I necessarily have to be less aggressive, but maybe I'm wishing for certain things a bit too much. I have always been good at overtaking, but somehow this year, maybe with the first two races not going as I hoped, I wanted to make up for lost points, and this factor played against me. It's a life lesson, and I need to learn from what happened".
Max Verstappen's mistake, affecting Sebastian Vettel's race, is another sign that this is a negative moment, where the Dutchman is too often a victim of excessive impatience. Ferrari pays the price for this situation, as the favorite found itself securing third place with Kimi Raikkonen, sacrificed by the strategy after a difficult start.
"We had a good start, but unfortunately, I locked up at the first corner and struggled to follow the Red Bull initially. I didn't go bad on a clear track, but surely the first phase of the race was far from ideal. Then we stayed out for a long time; I had some luck with the Safety Car and enough speed with the mediums, but in the end, the soft would have been needed to attack for real. I was fast at the end, but it's hard to follow the car in front of you. To attack with hopes of success, you need a better compound. Anyway, I'll take what I got; the race didn't seem positive".
Sebastian Vettel, however, can also complain about a too slow pit stop, which allowed Valtteri Bottas to temporarily take the lead.
"It's one of those races that sometimes go in your favor, sometimes they go completely wrong. The Safety Car, with the stewards' decision that maybe came a bit too soon to return to the pits and then the first stop that was a bit slow, during which we lost a position, which was very negative. After that, it was difficult, I gave it my all, I even damaged the tires behind Bottas trying to push, but it was too difficult. He was a bit slower than me, but not by much. I don't think there's much to add beyond what you've seen. These are races, things that can happen, it was negative for both of us. After the contact, I lost balance, with a lot of oversteer, it was difficult to stay on the track. We practically had no more weapons; I simply tried to survive. I saw him at the last moment, I left a bit of space but it wasn't enough, I didn't want to resist, it wouldn't have made sense, Ricciardo had already passed me. He made a miscalculation, it happens, it compromised the race for both of us".
Another driver who emerges defeated from the Chinese Grand Prix is undoubtedly Lewis Hamilton, who seemed unrecognizable even compared to Valtteri Bottas, almost always ahead of him during the weekend. The Englishman was unable to make the most of the potential of the W09:
"Today, I never had the pace. The whole weekend is absolutely forgettable, also because it was really two-faced. On Friday, we started in the right way with great pace and balance, but then the car was turned upside down in terms of setup, and we couldn't recover it. Things started to go wrong from the start. I wasn't perfect, and I lost some positions. I have to improve under this point of view because it's costing me precious points. From that moment on, I never had a good pace, and I always struggled with tires, not performing well throughout all 56 laps. The team and I will have to analyze every aspect thoroughly; we need to improve a lot".
After the contact between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen in Bahrain, the Dutchman collided with Sebastian Vettel's car in Shanghai. The comment from the reigning World Champion is enigmatic:
"Is Verstappen too aggressive? For what I saw today, I would say I am grateful for his way of driving".
That the competition is tighter is clear, and the success of the Red Bull Racing team is further confirmation. The RB14 is undoubtedly a great car but pays the price in terms of reliability. A car that could potentially be competitive on many tracks, including those where more grip and less power from the power unit are needed. This is something that must be taken into account by the Ferrari and Mercedes teams, which are not so far ahead that they can fight alone at the top of the World Championship. As admitted by the team principal of the Anglo-German team, Toto Wolff:
"Daniel is one of the strongest drivers, and he has proven it again. He has shown himself to be very efficient and able to make the most of the opportunities that presented themselves because he was aggressive at the right time, and overall, it was a good race for him. Perhaps the maneuver on Bottas was a bit brutal, but he proved to be effective. He still saw Valtteri help him to avoid a collision, but in any case, his race was fantastic".
Then, talking about the Chinese Grand Prix, and particularly about his team, the Austrian manager says:
"The only positive thing I see is Valtteri's race. It was really fantastic; he made no mistakes and was unlucky when the safety car came out. Even during the overtake by Ricciardo, if he hadn't opened the door at the last minute, Daniel would have pushed him out. The measures regarding oil consumption are not entirely accurate. If you push to the limit, you sometimes risk exceeding it, and Mercedes cannot afford to compete illegally".
The Mercedes-Ferrari comparison continues, and this can certainly be positive for the show, although the cars from Maranello seem to be the most competitive at the moment. But Daniel Ricciardo was the only one among the top drivers to attempt and successfully complete overtakes since he had less to lose compared to Sebastian Vettel, who remains the leader of the Drivers' World Championship, and Valtteri Bottas, who defended against the attacks of the German driver. The gap between Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton in the standings has now been reduced, and as for the Constructors' World Championship, Mercedes leads with just one point ahead of the Ferrari team. With two wins for the Maranello team and one for the Anglo-Austrian team, the circus moves to Baku, where the Azerbaijan Grand Prix will be held on Sunday, April 29, 2018. A circuit that could again favor the characteristics of the Ferrari and Red Bull Racing cars. However, one must still be careful of Mercedes and especially Valtteri Bottas, who seems to have started the year very well.