Piastri at the front in China • Verstappen has a hard time in sixth place

GP China 16/56 | Norris behind Russell

Oops, Norris is the last to make his pit stop and ends up behind Russell. This gives a lot of air for Piastri. A number of riders in the top ten still have to make his pit stop. Albon drives in the front, but Piastri is the leader virtually.

GP China 15/56 | Pitstop Piastri

Piastri is the next to make his pit stop, but his tire change is slightly slower than it should.

GP China 13/56 | First pit stops

Behind the top teams the first drivers make their pit stops. At the front, Piastri now has two seconds ahead of Norris. A little more air, but it will be a long race, in which keeping the tires the whole thing remains crucial.

Incidentally, Leclerc is in fifth position despite damage to his wing faster than teammate Hamilton.

GP China 9/56 | No speed Verstappen

Verstappen has been behind Leclerc for more than four seconds, while the Monegask has damage to his front wing. In any case, it doesn’t seem to be the day of Verstappen.

Tsunoda drives eighth in his RB car and asks to adjust his front wing. “We don’t want that,” says his engineer about the radio. “Well, I do,” Tsunoda responds.

GP China 4/56 | Problems Alonso

Gasly reports about his radio that Alonso has a burning brake. Alonso also notices it and ranges from his gas. The Aston Martin driver is the first dropout of the day.

In repetitions it can be seen that Bortoleto was spinded in the first round, but the Brazilian returned to the track with his Sauber.

GP China 2/56 | Lots of changes

Russell has therefore lost his second place to Norris, while both Ferrari’s Verstappen have passed by. Leclerc has slight damage because he has touched his Hamilton teammate.

Countdown to formation round

The formation round starts at 8 a.m., immediately afterwards a start is made in Shanghai. As a leader, who will be the first turning combination?

Commemoration former team boss Eddie Jordan

Earlier today, Formula 1 brought a tribute to former team boss Eddie Jordan. Last Thursday it was announced that the 76-year-old Irishman died. Jordan had his own team from 1991 to 2005, Jordan Grand Prix, in the royal class of motorsport. He died of an aggressive form of prostate cancer.

Jordan was a flamboyant personality in Formula 1. Not only because of his racing team, but also because of his always sharp opinions in the media.

At Jordan Grand Prix, Michael Schumacher made his debut in Formula 1, the German would later become world champion seven times. The Jordan team won a total of four Grands Prix. After various sales and name changes (Midland, Spyker, Force India and Racing Point), the Silverstone team is now active in Formula 1 as Aston Martin.

Wow second in F1 Academy

In the F1 Academy, the class for talented women, Maya Weug finished second in the second race of the weekend. The victory was for the French Doriane Pin, who overtaken Weug in the first corner of the race.

Nina Gademan was tenth, after contact with her teammate in the first round.

Just like earlier this weekend, there are again many Hamilton fans on the circuit. The Englishman was very successful in Shanghai. He won the race in 2008, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2019. The last competition was the 1,000th F1 race in history.

Verstappen won in China for the first time last year, after the race was canceled for four years due to the Coronapandemie. Fernando Alonso is the only other active driver who already won in China, the Spaniard was the best in 2005 and 2013.

Lawson is disappointing: ‘I have to get things under control’

Verstappen’s teammate, Liam Lawson, is pretty disappointing so far. In Australia the New Zealander did not reach the finish and during the sprint qualification and the qualification for the race in China, Lawson did not go beyond the 20th, and last, place.

“I have to get things under control,” Lawson said on Saturday after qualifying. “It’s just still not good enough. I have to get on top of it and I need time for that, but unfortunately I don’t really have the time.”

The question that emerges early in the season is therefore whether Red Bull has made the right choice by appointing Lawson for the Sergio Pérez shifted on the side. Team boss Christian Horner does not really want to answer that. He agreed that it had been a tough Saturday for the New Zealander.

“We will take a good look at this situation and try to give him the best car for the race,” said Horner on Saturday.

Why the driver makes the difference in Formula 1 this year and the car less

Eighteen thousandths. That was the difference between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton yesterday during the sprint qualification of the GP of China on a circuit of almost 5.5 kilometers. It says a lot about the minimum differences between Formula 1 cars this season and that ensures an exciting racing year.

“The difference is made this season by the people who work with it, such as the drivers,” says Ernest Knoors, former engineer at Ferrari.

We explain in the article below. And also why that will probably be completely different in the coming year.