Gary Lineker, the former English striker who was top scorer at Mexico 1986, would explain it effectively: Formula 1 is the sport in which 20 people chase each other for a certain number of laps and in the end they win Max Verstappen. Which isn't German, but it's a detail: it's always the Dutchman who dominates this sport, yesterday's wet mini-qualifying (fourth place) gave his opponents a break, but in the Sprint of the Chinese GP – the first of this season – the world champion is back to calling the shots. It took him 9 of the 19 scheduled laps to get back upstream, inexorably sucking in all those who had started in front of him after having defended himself in the first two laps from Carlos Sainz's attacks. He had a problem with the battery, Super Max (“Why is it so flat?”, he asked his engineer), which was solved by Fernando Alonso (7th lap) and shortly after Lewis Hamilton. He would only see them again at the finish line, more than 13 seconds behind, as he celebrated his 8th victory in 13 mini-races overall.
Everything happened behind Verstappen, with the Ferraris protagonists. Sainz, who started with new tires like Hamilton and Alonso, was super at the start but was unable to overtake Max. Then he started chasing Fernando, who finally overtook on lap 16: the duel with his compatriot, who resisted beyond the limit recovering from a puncture which resulted in his retirement, however, he favored Sergio Perez, who took third place. And also Charles Leclerc, sensational in the duel with his teammate: Sainz accompanied him to the limits of the track in the first attack attempt in turn 14, but on the following lap (17th) he surrendered to the Monegasque in the funnel at the end of the starting straight. A textbook overtaking, there we finally (re)saw the real Charles, which gives us hope also in view of qualifying (at 9) and tomorrow's GP. Sparks among the Ferrari fans, the likes of which we haven't seen for a long time. Leclerc is harsh in his outburst on the radio: «Carlos fights more with me than with the others».
At the start, after a long time, the truth was also seen again Hamilton, very decisive in overtaking Lando Norris, accompanying him on the outside and forced to retreat in a corner from pole to 7th position. Lewis tried to pull away, followed by Alonso (81 years old between them), but the breakaway lasted 9 laps. «I had fun, it's been a long time since I got a result like this – commented the 7-time world champion, second at the finish line – but Ferrari and McLaren remain faster». Verstappen confirms: «I struggled in the first laps against opponents with new tires – he explained -, but then I found a good pace». And for the others there was nothing to be done.
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