The Bahrain Grand Prix did not give the expected results: while many were expecting the Ferrari seen at the tests, the team from Maranello once again gave a bad self-image, due to some reliability problems. Neither did the most promising midfield teams get good results at the beginning of the season. After the excellent results in Barcelona, Haas has retired twice in just two races with Romain Grosjean, and they arrive to China with only eight points collected by Magnussen in Australia. Same destiny for Renault: the French stable, which finished fifth in the 2018 World Championship and which is now considered the favourite (outside of the top three teams), has suffered three failures – one in Australia and two in Bahrain. Definitely not the start they hoped for. The same can be said of the rookies, all three protagonists of good performances. George Russell, Formula 2 champion, proved his worth despite the problems his team is facing. As a matter of fact, the British driver has always qualified ahead of his teammate and he has been on his same level on track. It is not the best scenario for a rookie driver, but George is working hard to acquire as much data as possible in order to improve more and more.
"We know where we are at the moment, but it was a good race for me (in Bahrain). I was able to fight a little bit with Robert and I'm thankful that the team allowed us to race, it was nice. Speaking of me, it was a good race, but obviously finishing in 15th position is not so rewarding. We know what we are fighting for, but what matters is bringing the car home and collecting some new data".
His compatriot Lando Norris scored his first points in Bahrain, as well as his first points for McLaren, while his Spanish teammate retired twice. Norris arrived second in the Formula 2 championship and, after being part of the McLaren Junior team and test driver for the same team, he arrived in Formula 1 thanks to his talent (he has dominated in all the categories he’s been a part of) but also thanks to the trust placed in him by the English team. Finally, Alex Albon, also British but with Thai origins on his mother's side – origins that he decided to honour by racing under the flag of this nation. Albon finished third in the Formula 2 championship, thus having the opportunity to arrive in the top category together with Russell and Norris. The latter's performance does not disappoint: he gave a good impression during the winter tests, then he qualified ahead of his teammate in both races held so far and finally he got his first points in Bahrain, finishing ninth. These are Albon's words about his feelings and learning process so far:
"Getting in the car in Barcelona, getting up to speed, was quick. The cars today are so sophisticated that you get comfortable quickly. What’s important is the interaction with the team and studying the data outside of the car, which definitely teaches a lot. So being with Dany, listening to her feedback and how she communicates with people also helps me. But yeah, it's going well. The simulator has helped too. So far so good".
In addition, the Thai driver, after stating that he has always been a big Ferrari fan since he was a child, says he has a special helmet for this weekend, a tribute to Prince Bira, bringing a bit of Thai history to Formula 1 in honour of the 1.000th Grand Prix. The Thai flag is not the only novelty of the season: after eight years, the Italian flag is back on the Formula 1 grid. Antonio Giovinazzi, Alfa Romeo driver, is the first Italian starter in Formula 1 after eight years of waiting. The last ones were Trulli and Liuzzi. The 25-year-old from Puglia has already had the opportunity to compete in Formula 1 in 2017, replacing Pascal Wehrlein in Australia and China.
"I'm proud to bring the tricolour among the twenty Formula 1 drivers. It is almost impossible for someone who comes from Puglia like me to emerge among the greats. Only twenty drivers in the world reach Formula 1. It takes a lot of sacrifices – also economic - to get here. One of my strengths was the conviction that I could make it: when I was a child, I believed I could; then the more I grew up the more I realized how difficult it was. But I've worked so hard, I've trained every day since I was three years old. My life has only been focused on this".
Before reaching this milestone, Giovinazzi spent two whole years without an official role. After being vice-champion in Formula 3 in 2015 and then in GP2 in 2016, the Apulian spent the last two years in the pits as third Ferrari driver, Sauber and Haas tester, being able to participate in some tests.
"I spent the last two years on the bench. I was watching the others race while I was in the simulator. Changing team jerseys every time. It was tough but I gave my all, earning Ferrari's respect. I hope I can play my chances. The first two races this year were not the best, I need experience. Luckily, I have Kimi as my teacher".
The F1 circus now moves to China, to the Shanghai circuit, for the third round of the season. Ferrari states that the cause of Leclerc's SF90 power unit's loss of power was caused by a short circuit to an injection control unit. The Monegasque will use a different power unit this weekend in order to avoid problems. Ferrari seems optimistic: despite the first two disappointing races, they feel the will to win. Sebastian Vettel has not yet been on the podium this year, and Shanghai is a track on which the German has never won. He has a strong desire:
"I've had several good races here, and I've come close to victory more than once. Maybe, if we have a little bit of luck on our side, this will be the right time, especially as this is the one thousandth race in Formula 1. Shanghai is one of the most technical and difficult tracks in F1 and two corners in particular are fundamental, 1 and 13, which leads onto the long straight of over a kilometre. They are both very technical and it's not always easy to find the best line because the track is wide in both cases. They are difficult in qualifying, when I have to give everything in a lap, but also during the race. Saving the tyres in Shanghai is the most important thing to do to make them last and to be competitive throughout the race. In terms of performance, I think we did much better in Bahrain than in Australia. Our real problem is reliability: if we can solve it – and this is our goal – the situation will improve. It's the third race, on a different track with different conditions. We will see what happens. I hope we will see a lot of red and yellow on the podium".
Unlike the German driver, Leclerc has already put his first prize of the season in his cabinet, even if it is not the prize he wanted, after the mockery in Bahrain. His first races aboard a Ferrari did not disappoint, but there is still a long way to go:
"In Bahrain, I was already feeling much more comfortable with the car, but there is still a lot to learn and to get to know, also referring to the same people in the team. There will be progress from this point of view and also in terms of driving. I mean, I felt more comfortable, but I’m still not satisfied. I hope I’ll take more steps in the next races. The World Championship? I'll give everything for the title, but I can't say yet if I'm ready, it's too early to say… But I'll certainly give my best".
Expectations towards Ferrari are always high. The World Championship is always the ultimate goal and managing director Louis Camilleri has every intention of bringing it to fruition:
"Although we clearly did not meet our ambitions in the first two races, we remain confident that we have all the necessary qualities to be a strong contender for the World Championship title. The season is long, we have proven to have a fast and balanced car and we are committed to improve its reliability. We have two great drivers, a great Team Principal who is not only a great leader but he also has a deep knowledge of Ferrari and technology. We have a united, calm, determined and talented team both on track and in Maranello, who will give everything to achieve their and our ambitions".
But, as is well known, a driver's greatest enemy is his partner, and the rumour about an alleged rivalry between the two Ferrari drivers is starting to swirl. Choosing Leclerc as second driver was certainly a particular choice, given the little experience of the Monegasque, who is only in his second year in Formula 1, but certainly his performance has not given rise to second thoughts. On the contrary. After the first two weekends he has made his way, acquiring the reputation of a possible contender for the title. In Australia a team order had prevented him from overtaking his teammate and in Bahrain he came close to victory, while Vettel, four-time World Champion and Ferrari's strong point, is the protagonist of some anonymous performances.
"At that moment I had a pretty big advantage over Sebastian. When I had the opportunity to pass him in a straight line safely, I took it. Formula 1 is fast. After Melbourne no one saw me as a contender for the title. After Bahrain everyone has me as a favourite. Evaluations change quickly. But I remain focused on my work, we are only at the third race. Did I say in Australia that it was up to me to change my status from number two to number one? That's a question for Mattia Binotto. I don't make these decisions, unfortunately. Has my relationship with Vettel changed? No, not at all. We both want to fight, and I think that’s what usually happens between teammates, with a different car, just to adapt it to different driving styles. But we've found a great compromise: on track we fight, but when we get out of the car we work together".
We talk about teamwork, which is fundamental in a competition, but that doesn't take away from the fact that now Vettel, considered the favourite in the fight with Hamilton, finds himself facing another opponent.
"In Bahrain we saw how fast he is. He deserved the win. I always have respect for people who are good, and he was. I'm not surprised he passed me, he was much faster than me. I could have passed him in turn in the next straight, but, considering his pace, we would have lost time. So, it didn’t make sense to hinder Charles' race".
The team principal also commented on the issue:
"As a team we have to prioritize the team itself, maximizing the points. For us, Vettel is the driver who is most likely to fight for the title, but if in a few races, things might change for some reason, and our position may also change. If a driver is clearly faster, he will have an advantage, as it happened with Charles in Bahrain".
Having said that we are only at the third round and that Ferrari has a lot to think about, the alleged couple crisis is not at the top of the list. Instead, reliability issues are, and Binotto admits:
"The problem in Bahrain only occurred once in the race, never in practice or testing. We have to be strong in reliability, but these are things can happen, we were unlucky. Losing the Bahrain Grand Prix was tough and a bit frustrating, but also a confidence boost for the race in China".
They’re just words, though: performance on track will provide the answers. Meanwhile, in anticipation of the Chinese Grand Prix, Pirelli, the only tires supplier, is bringing hard (C2), medium (C3) and soft (C4) compound tires for this race.
The Federation establishes two zones where drivers can activate the Drag Reduction System, confirming the choices of the previous seasons: the pit straight, with the point for determining the gap between drivers before the last corner, and on the long straight between turns 13 and 14, with a detection point at turn 12. All drivers using a Renault-powered car use the second MGU-K of the season. The only exception is Carlos Sainz Jr.’s McLaren, since he already fitted the new component in the previous race, while the entire power unit has been replaced on Nico Hulkenberg’s Renault, after his retirement in Bahrain. Scuderia Ferrari has no problems with Leclerc’s power unit, even after he lost his victory two weeks earlier due to a cylinder problem. But, as mentioned, and as a precaution, the power units are replaced for both drivers. The electronic ECUs that control the power units are also replaced, on both Ferrari and Haas. The FIA forces Mercedes to modify the design of the front wing. The commissioners have in fact judged the new lateral bulkhead, designed by the German company to control the air passage towards the outside of the wheel, as not complying with the regulations. However, the Federation has specified that the side wing cannot be cut in order not to make the flaps visible from the side. Former Formula 1 driver Briton Derek Warwick is appointed as assistant commissioner for the race. He had already been given this assignment, most recently at the 2018 United States Grand Prix. Scuderia Toro Rosso, Minardi heir, celebrates its two hundred and fiftieth Grand Prix in the Formula 1 World Championship. Friday morning begins with the first free practice where Ferrari places in first position with a time of 1'33"911 marked by Sebastian Vettel. During the session, the team from Maranello used the Medium compounds, managing to keep up with the two Mercedes, which in turn used Soft tyres, without any problems. Behind the four times World Champion we find Hamilton at two tenths of a second, immediately followed by Leclerc.
Ferrari performance seems promising: in fact, even in the race pace, they are faster by a full second than their main rivals. Bottas is in fourth position behind the Red Bull’s Dutchman, who sets a time of 1'34"334 on Soft tires, while his teammate is a full second behind and only in seventh place. Problems for Alfa Romeo instead: Kimi Raikkonen is only fifteenth, while Giovinazzi does not set any time. The Italian driver did not leave the pits because of some problems on his power unit. The situation changes in the afternoon: in FP2, Mercedes is at the top of the ranking. Nevertheless, performances between teams are closer both on race pace and in qualifying simulation. Ferrari changes strategy compared to the morning and mounts the Hard and Medium compounds: Vettel, with the former, sets a time of 1'34"783, while Leclerc, with the latter, drops to 1'34"271. The German's time is soon improved by Valtteri Bottas, who, in his Mercedes and with the same compound, is two tenths behind. After the first half hour, the teams focus on the qualifying simulation, using Soft tires: Bottas sets the best time of the day, 1'33"330, ahead of Vettel by just 27 thousandths, while his teammate is fourth, seven tenths behind. Leclerc is forced to end the session early to check the car's cooling system and avoid damages, marking a 1'34"0. Verstappen's Red Bull is a surprise, setting the third fastest time on Soft tyres, two tenths behind Bottas. As for the second Red Bull driver, the situation is different: Gasly ends his day one second behind his teammate, in tenth position. Good day for the McLarens, both in the top ten, while Toro Rosso has some problems on Kvyat's car: the Italian team is forced to replace the power unit, and the Russian driver goes off track thirty minutes before the end. Ferrari, on Hard tires, also sets good race pace times. In fact, Vettel goes under 1'38 and Mercedes is close. After all, results are not bad and both Ferrari drivers are positive:
"All in all, it was a positive day. We still have some work to do but I would say that we are in a pretty similar situation to Bahrain, where we were competitive. There are certain parts of the track where I am already satisfied with the set-up, and others where we still need to improve. For qualifying and for the race, I expect us and our rivals to be very close, so it will be important to continue working to get an even better understanding with the car".
Despite the problems in the final part of the session, neither Leclerc is complaining about the performance:
"The sensations that the SF90 transmitted to me were positive. In terms of balance, there is still some work to do but I can say I am satisfied overall. It was a shame not to be able to test the long run, it could be useful ahead of the race, but we are not worried. We have all the indications we need to do well. Now it's just a matter of putting everything together for qualifying, mostly because I think it will be a very close battle".
On Saturday, April 13th 2019, the teams prepare for qualifying, which will outline the grid for Sunday's race. But first, the drivers engage in the last free practice session, which ends with Bottas once again in the lead - being the only driver to break the 1'33 wall - followed by the two Ferraris of Vettel and Leclerc, while Hamilton is only fourth. Disappointing session for the two Red Bulls, dropping to seventh and fifteenth position. Kimi Raikkonen's Alfa Romeo does much better, after some difficulties encountered on Friday, getting ahead of the Dutch Red Bull driver. The session ends with a terrible accident for the young rookie Alex Albon, who crashes into the barriers completely destroying his car. Due to his mistake, which luckily didn’t leave him injured, the Thai driver will not be able to participate in the qualifying session, starting last in the race. As always, the first to get on track for Q1 are the Williams drivers, while the rest of the grid starts turning on their engines halfway through the session. Vettel sets a good 1'33"557 at his first attempt, but the first position is soon taken away from him by Bottas, who is eight tenths of a second faster. Leclerc struggles more, stuck in traffic: the Monegasque driver is one and a half seconds faster than the Finn, while Hamilton and Verstappen both outpace Vettel. Once again, Gasly finds himself drastically behind his teammate, therefore having to make a second attempt like Leclerc. A few minutes from the end some drivers improve: among them we find Leclerc, who goes up to second position. However, since he mounts a new set of Soft tires, he will find himself with one less set than his rivals. Lance Stroll fails to cross the Q1 line, just like George Russell and Robert Kubica. Antonio Giovinazzi and Alex Albon fail to pass to Q2 as well. The former does not even go on track, and therefore does not set any time, due to another problem with the Ferrari power unit, which had prevented him from testing on Friday, while the second could not participate because of the FP3 accident, which destroyed the car in such a way that it was difficult to repair it before the beginning of the qualifying. The rookie is clearly disappointed with what happened, taking full blame:
"I'm fine. I'm angrier and more disappointed than anything else, because it surely was a big accident, but also a stupid one, a bit too pretentious for free practice. I'm a bit disappointed especially because I think we would have had a good chance in Q3 today, the car has been strong all weekend. I'm not happy with what I did. It would be a bad excuse to say it was a rookie mistake. I think it simply shouldn't have happened, I was too pretentious, that's all. I was obviously pushing and trying to find the limit, but it should have been like that in qualifying and not in Free Practice".
Mexican Sergio Perez is the first to set a time in Q2 but it is immediately overshadowed by a fantastic Valtteri Bottas: the Finnish driver goes under the wall of 1'32"0 at the first blow with Medium compounds, setting a time of 1'31"728. Ferrari is here to break Mercedes’ hegemony, but Vettel in second position has to record a delay of half a second from the world leader. Gasly, in sixth position on a set of Soft tires, is the last driver to cross the finish line in the first part of Q2, while his teammate is fourth on Medium. Perez, Sainz, Raikkonen, Norris and Grosjean, who did not set any time at all, drop out of the top ten. The French driver will have only one chance to pass to Q3. With just under three minutes to go, the fifteen remaining drivers take to the track. Mercedes tries two different strategies: Hamilton on Medium tyres, Bottas on Softs. Leclerc does not go out.
Lewis Hamilton improves, setting the best time (1'31"637), as well as Kimi Raikkonen moving up to tenth place, and the two McLaren drivers although they don’t make it to Q3. In a good first attempt, Romain Grosjean climbs to eighth position. Hulkenberg. Verstappen, Bottas and Vettel slow down, keeping their previous times, and qualifying on Medium tires. The drivers eliminated in Q2 are therefore Kvyat, Perez, Raikkonen and the two McLarens of Sainz Jr and Norris. For the first time since the start of the season Gasly reaches Q3. Raikkonen cannot be as enthusiastic. The former World Champion finds himself out of Q3 for the first time since the 2016 Hungarian Grand Prix but he is not to blame, since during the pit stop, he declares in a team-radio that he has power problems. Hence, he finishes thirteenth:
"I would say we still completed some decent laps in qualifying and my feeling on the last lap was right. I was going on the opposite straight, alone, but at a certain point I simply didn't have enough speed anymore. Unfortunately, this is how things go sometimes. Tomorrow we'll find out what we can achieve in the race".
In Q3, the two Mercedes immediately start fighting for the first position, with Bottas winning by only seven thousandths of a second, setting the provisional best time of 1'31"563. Ferrari follows with Vettel, four seconds behind. Verstappen has an excellent start, while his teammate, despite being sixth, is one second behind the Dutchman. Hulkenberg and Ricciardo close the top ten, while the two Haas drivers have not set any time yet. With three minutes to go, the pressure is on. The single-seaters take to the track led by Hamilton. The English driver, with a very slow out lap, slows down the group behind him, and both Red Bull and Haas drivers fail to launch themselves for the last attempt, crossing the finish line when the time is over. The English driver sets the record in the first sector, while Bottas doesn't seem to improve. But looks can be deceiving as Hamilton is not able to get the best time, while Bottas improves his lap time by another sixteen thousandths and marks the provisional pole in 1'31"547. The only drivers who can still fight for pole position are Leclerc, in third position, and Vettel, who – informed by radio of the little time left – overtakes Verstappen and goes for his last lap. Nevertheless, his time is not fast enough and the German driver can only pass his teammate. Qualifying ends with the two Mercedes drivers in first and second position, followed by the two Ferraris of Vettel and Leclerc, the two Red Bulls of Verstappen and Gasly, the Renaults of Ricciardo and Hulkenberg, and finally the two Haas of Magnussen and Grosjean. Behind them: Kvyat, Perez, Raikkonen, Sainz, Norris, Stroll, Russell and the two non-qualified Giovinazzi and Albon. The Finnish driver seems unstoppable and he reaches the first pole position of the season, as well as the seventh in his career, keeping the lead in the standings. Once again, two Mercedes in the front row. The Anglo-German team seems unbeatable and Bottas is not giving up: will 2019 finally be his year?
"It’s been a good weekend for me so far. I have always felt comfortable since free practice. I struggled a bit in qualifying to put the perfect lap together but it paid off. The lap was not bad: not exactly as I wanted, but enough for the pole. The car was good the whole weekend, Lewis was very fast and he also improved a lot getting very close to me".
Bottas also gets compliments from Hamilton, who will start from second position in the race:
"I never gave up, congratulations to Valtteri who was stellar all weekend. I struggled, fighting against the car all weekend and nibbling away at the gap. I'm very happy, because at a certain point I was eight tenths away and getting so close is fantastic. This is an incredible result for the team. There is still some catching up to do, but we can wait until tomorrow. The Ferraris? They seem to be faster in the straights, but we were clearly able to be even faster in the corners".
The Englishman is saying the truth. From the start of the weekend, Mercedes has clearly been superior in the corners, unlike Ferrari that flies in the straights. Different characteristics that obviously adapt well to different circuits, something that the team principal of Mercedes, Toto Wolff - who had the better of it in qualifying - remembers well:
"Our data tells us that, compared to the Ferraris, we lose three and a half tenths on the straights, but we recover very well in the corners and in the driven sections. That's where we made the difference. We feel like they have the ability to push the engine more, or at least to use it more aggressively".
Ferrari is beaten again, although the gap is minimal and despite the solid performance. We have to see if they will be able to bring home a podium or a win. The two drivers will start in the second row, with Vettel behind Bottas. These are the words of the German:
"Unfortunately, they had more speed today. In Q1 they already had something more than us. Maybe there was still something to improve, but in the end I'm glad I did my last lap because we were really on the limit with the timing. The team talked about a margin of a few seconds. I'm glad I was able to cross the line in time and make the lap. Anyway, I did not have the speed to stay ahead of Mercedes. They are quite faster in the corners, but we will get closer in the straights and we will try to do something there. It will be a long race".
It does not seem to be the best weekend for Leclerc, only fourth: first the problems in free practice, then the traffic in Q1 and the missing set of new tires. The Monegasque driver is disappointed and does not hide it, but he is ready to fight:
"I was very fast in the last lap, but I made a mistake and I'm not happy today. However, I'm relieved by the fact that the car made progress during the weekend: we'll see tomorrow. The Mercedes were going strong in the second sector, but we are confident and I will give everything to get the best in tomorrow's race".
Ferrari performance is justified by their former president, Luca Montezemolo, as a result of the inexperience of the new president John Elkann and therefore of an isolation towards Binotto. These statements warm the hearts inside the team. The new team principal denies it all, declaring to have great support:
"I have the full support of the president and CEO, great people who give total support to the team and I have many people to talk to in Maranello and colleagues who help me. It's a hungry team full of skills, I am fully supported and I look forward to a long life in the team".
John Elkann takes it more personally instead, and he responds to the accusations shutting down this matter:
"You are not in Ferrari for personal gain, vainglory or visibility, but for what you can give to the company. Being Ferrari means contributing every day to something bigger, each one with his role, in a constructive way. You don’t belong to Ferrari for what the society can give to you. On the contrary, being part of it means first of all thinking about what each person can give to Ferrari, working with humility, motivation and passion".
The 1.000th Formula 1 Grand Prix begins on Sunday, April 14th, 2019. According to Pirelli, the fastest strategy would be starting with Soft tyres and then mounting the Hard - something that obviously the top five will not be able to do, starting with the Medium. In that case, the tire supplier suggests stopping around lap 19 to switch to Hard tyres. The third quickest strategy is to make two stops with Soft-Soft and then Hard. During the formation lap, both Max Verstappen and Robert Kubica spin, but they are still able to start the race from the grid. On Sunday, Hamilton is protagonist of a great start, which hands him the lead of the race. Vettel loses one position, overtaken by his teammate Charles Leclerc. The two Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Pierre Gasly follow. Great start for Perez, who climbs up to the seventh position, while in the back Norris is victim of a clash with Kvyat and his car jumps in the air. The Toro Rosso driver lightly touches Sainz Jr. and then runs into the British rookie's McLaren, compromising not only his race, but also the British team’s fight. Both McLaren drivers return to the pits to replace the front wing and they are further slowed down by some problems during the replacement on Sainz Jr.'s car, who will inevitably return to the back of the queue, a minute behind the race leader. Meanwhile, the race direction briefly decides to activate the virtual safety car. Because of this mistake, Kvyat will be penalized with a drive through and two points on his Super License. Norris is informed of a damage on the bottom of his car, shortly after his return to the track, so it won't be an easy race for the McLaren driver. Unlike Kvyat, Albon makes a good recovery that sees him starting from the pit lane up to the fifteenth position. Shortly after Haas opts for a premature pit stop, at the eighth lap: Kvyat takes advantage of it to serve his penalty. In the following minutes, the situation at the head of the race doesn't change: the Mercedes cars move away, while the two Ferraris slow down each other. The box starts reacting: Riccardo Adami, Vettel's track engineer, asks his driver if he feels faster than his teammate, while Leclerc is warned that there is no need to manage, and that he must push to the maximum. Leclerc is then told to increase his speed or let his teammate pass, which happens on lap 11, even though their pace is almost the same. In any case, this exchange between the two Ferrari drivers allows Verstappen to make up ground. Meanwhile, Kimi Raikkonen has moved up to ninth position after overtaking Nico Hulkenberg on track. The German, who started on the Softs used in Q2, pits to mount Hard tyres and tries to go all the way. Four laps later the situation doesn't seem to have changed for Ferrari: this time Leclerc complains about his teammate's performance, too slow according to him, thus causing a slowdown and consequently a close approach of the Dutchman.
The Monegasque asks:
"What do we do now?"
And the team replies:
"Stay focused on your job Charles".
It is not the best weekend for Renault, since at the sixteenth lap comes yet another retirement: Hulkenberg, after making his pit stop at the twelfth lap, retires four laps later due to some problems on his car. On lap 18, Verstappen pits for the Hard compound, dropping to eighth position. The Dutchman remains behind Vettel, who pits on the following lap for Hard tires as well, ending fifth. Taking advantage of some other stops, Verstappen is just behind the German, and the fight for fifth begins. The driver tries to overtake Vettel on the inside at turn 14, but the latter takes advantage of a blockage and they end up side by side; after that, Vettel pushes Verstappen slightly off the track, closing the inside line, and he is back in front. Gasly also pits for a tire change and he returns to the track in eighth position. After the first two weekends adjusting to the new car, the French driver seems to have finally found the right rhythm and consistency to run a valid race.
Albon’s race also seems great so far: the Thai driver started from the pits, climbing up to tenth position after just twenty laps, but falling back to sixteenth after the first pit stop. Mercedes decides to call Bottas back to the pits on lap 22 to mount Hard tires, before Lewis Hamilton, causing dissent from the latter who stops only one lap later to mount Hard tires and finds himself a few meters behind his teammate.
"Why is he so close to me now? Why did you stop him before?"
The box replies that they are worried about tyre wear in the final laps of the race. On lap 23, Leclerc also stops to fit Hard tyres. He returns to the track in fifth position, but his tone of voice, perceived through a team-radio, shows that he is not happy with the situation: if it weren’t for the exchange of positions with Vettel, he would probably be further ahead. The Mercedes drivers are also battling: Bottas, seeing an opportunity, starts pushing to reach his teammate, but Hamilton doesn't waste any time and he creates again a minimum gap. A great protagonist is Raikkonen, who has led an excellent race so far finding himself sixth ahead of Gasly. The Finn will remain in the top ten after pitting for Hard tires on lap 26, gaining the tenth position on Magnussen, just returned to the track, and starting a heated battle with Grosjean. Shortly after the halfway point of the race, Kvyat returns to the pits to change the nose still damaged by the first crash, but then retires on lap 43, due to some issues following the contact at the beginning of the race. On lap 35 Verstappen, whose tyres were suffering from obvious graining, pits for the second time for Medium tyres, thus prompting Ferrari to call Vettel – also on Medium tyres – back into the pits: they come back in fifth and fourth position respectively, while Leclerc switches to plan B and pushes his SF90 to the limit. Mercedes makes an unexpected choice: on lap 37 they opt for a double pit stop for Medium tyres, perfectly executed, which results in Hamiltom keeping the lead, while Bottas slips in third position, but not compromising his race as Leclerc is the only one who still has to stop.
A fierce fight begins: Leclerc defends himself, preventing Bottas from passing at first, but giving up the second position shortly after, on lap 39. Charles has to face Vettel now, soon behind him after changing tyres. The Monegasque is in trouble and the German completes the overtaking move on lap 43, just when the Ferrari team calls Leclerc back to the pits to make the stop and mount the soft tires. He re-joins behind Verstappen. On lap 50, Lando Norris is forced to retire due to the damage he suffered at the start of the race, just as Kvyat did on lap 41. Everybody keeps his position, although Leclerc warns his engineers that he had a problem with the gear of the gearbox, so that Red Bull takes the opportunity to call Gasly in the pits two laps from the end, to mount Soft tires and attempt the fast lap. The French driver easily gets it, thus ending his best race of the season. Hamilton crosses the finish line first, with his teammate six seconds behind. The driver sharing the podium with the two Mercedes is Sebastian Vettel, reaching the top three for the first time since the beginning of the season. Verstappen follows, at the end of an excellent race, and then we have Charles Leclerc, in the shade compared to the Bahrain Grand Prix. The top ten is completed by Gasly, Ricciardo, Perez, Raikkonen and a fantastic Alex Albon, who scores some well-deserved points once again, after the pit lane start due to his mistake in FP3. Out of the top ten we find Grosjean, Magnussen, Stroll, Sainz, Giovinazzi and the two Williams of Russell and Kubica. Once again Mercedes takes the first two positions. Lewis Hamilton deservedly conquers the victory for the second consecutive time this season, after leading the race for all the fifty-six laps. This is his seventy-fifth victory in his career, and he also gets the championship lead with sixty-eight points, six more than his Finnish teammate.
"It wasn't the most straightforward weekend for me, but for the team it's a fantastic result. When we arrived here, we didn't know what the balance of power would be with Ferrari, which had been very fast in Bahrain. But here Valtteri was very fast from the beginning, he did a great job. Doing a double in the Grand Prix number one thousand is important. The start went very well, I made the difference there. The rest is history. The double pit-stop? It was an exemplary race for everyone, but we are only in the third race. We are all very close and I have no idea how the next one will be. Now I'm excited to the max, the public has been incredible. Thanks to them, wonderful reception. I'm so happy".
Maybe this is not the weekend Bottas expected after dominating in free practice and qualifying, but, in any case, he has achieved a great result for himself and for the team:
"Honestly I lost the race at the start, but beyond that the car was fine and the pace was similar. However, I clearly couldn’t go on with the dirty air in front. It's a pity because at the start I had a bit of a skid when I took the outside line and that’s when I lost the race. It's the details that make the difference, but it's still early in the season. So far, I've done well and I'm still proud for the team, we've done three one-two's in three weekends and it couldn't feel better. Have I lost the leadership of the world championship? Yes, it's not a good moment but I'm sure I can get back in front".
Vettel is in third position, with his first podium of the season. Surely the German has had his redemption after the first two rather anonymous races, but the results are once again not the ones he hoped for:
"I'm happy to be on the podium, even though it was tough: we tried to stay with them but we couldn't. Then I had a little battle with Max, it was quite funny but the goal was trying to stay behind Mercedes. They were too fast for us, though, so congratulations to Valtteri and Lewis. The fight with Verstappen? The gap in the straight was quite big, but, knowing Max, even if there was a good gap to our advantage, he would try and take the inside. So, I tried to cross the line going to the outside and it worked. There was a little scare but it went well because I took advantage. Not a sexy manoeuvre but it was enough. Charles? I was faster than him but I wasn't able to pull away and I did a couple of blockages that didn't allow me to go fast. We saw throughout the race that we didn't have the Mercedes pace. A bit of a shame that Charles couldn't catch Max at the end, I was watching a bit on the screens hoping he could beat him. We have to work hard at home, it's a good result but not great yet".
Undoubtedly Leclerc is the most disappointed. His race has had ups and downs starting from the team's order to let his teammate pass (although both had more or less the same pace), thus losing the position earned at the start, and then the pit stop made a lap after Verstappen, disfavouring a possible close.
"I did my job, we tried, but it didn't go well. I haven't talked to my engineer yet. I don't know if I stayed out that long to try to stop Bottas and help Sebastian. If the move had worked, I would have been very happy for the team, but it didn't go well, it wasn't my race, and I will work to make sure the next one will be".
The hierarchies’ issue might become dangerous if no clear action is taken: in view of the choices made in China, Charles explains that he accepts certain decisions with some pain, even though he recognizes them as necessary.
"It was a difficult situation to manage. I haven't seen the data yet to get the full picture. I understand the team's decision, but it was frustrating for me to see that Vettel couldn’t go away and to damage my tires behind him. I understand that sometimes races don't go my way, I have to work for the next one".
At three races from the start of the Championship, the third position is the only one that seems to change: the promising Ferrari that was expected has not yet shown up. The words of Ferrari's team principal give us much to think about:
"Of course, Leclerc's race was a bit compromised, but we were trying to give Sebastian some space to see if he could keep up with the Mercedes pace. I think that was the right choice. Every race is different. We are not disappointed today, but we have the desire to understand what didn't work and what to improve. The Mercedes’ were fast and, overall, definitely superior all weekend. For Vettel a third place can be good but we probably need more…".
The fateful Ferrari victory has been postponed for three weekends and the excuse is always the same: we need to understand what did not work. While its supporters are waiting for a strong response from Maranello, Mercedes is not standing still but they start to create a certain gap occupying the first position both in the drivers and in the constructors' standings, with 130 points against Ferrari’s 73. The situation is so surreal that, after the tests, not even Mercedes expected to be in such a good shape compared to its opponents: a clear domination over the other teams, three doubles in a row and two poles out of three. And Lewis Hamilton, with his usual modesty, attributes the success to the team:
"We have a complete package, which works very well: car, weekend work, race management and also the drivers, since so far both Valtteri and I have not made any mistakes. We need all of that, and this is what is emerging in this first phase of the season. I've been saying this for a long time now: we are truly capable of great feats. It's clear that there is still a long way to go and there is a lot of work to do, but let's remember how fast the Ferraris were in Bahrain and we had to catch up. That's why the one-two achieved here is even more special".
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is undoubtedly amazed and proud, and he admits:
"Winning the 1.000th race, in such a controlled way, is amazing. It is a very special victory and I can say that everyone within the team is very happy with the result. Based on our long run simulations, we didn't think it would be so easy and our advantage over the two Ferraris was a bit of a surprise. They still seem very fast on the straights. I'm not sure if it's just the power of the Ferrari engines. Our car is maybe a bit stiffer, but we need to keep working on our straight-line performance".
The Mercedes team principal goes on talking about strategy:
"Pulling the cars in for a double pit stop was risky. You have everything to lose while leading the race, but we thought we would lose positions if we stopped one driver at a time. Our plan worked perfectly. It was a well-managed pit stop with the team doing a great job. Lewis had a good break at the start today and controlled the race from then on. Valtteri certainly won't be happy as he took pole and he had the speed to win, but the start and the first stint were the deciding factors".
In the end he pauses to talk about the next round of the world championship:
"Baku is a track with different characteristics. There is a very long straight and we need to reach the ideal power level to be able to improve the top speed on the straights. I think we will be ready for the fight and I am looking forward to it. The whole Mercedes team will be working to get ready for the next round. We will see in the next race weekend. Ferrari's speed is scary and the straights in Baku can be an advantage for them".
Mercedes leaves China with the growing confidence that they can continue their winning streak, which has now been going on for a good five years, while Ferrari is aware they must do better to win the title.