VERSTAPPEN WINS IN EVENTFUL CHINESE GRAND PRIX
After five years away Formula One returned to China and the Shanghai Circuit which created some drama and produced another race win for Max Verstappen finishing over 13 seconds clear of second placed Lando Norris. Home hero Guanyu Zhou delighted fans with several nice overtakes in front of his adoring crowd.
As it is at most races it was Max Verstappen who got away well and lead into turn one with Fernando Alonso took second from Sergio Perez with Lando Norris up to fourth. At the other end of the grid Hamilton loses a place from 18th to 19th.
Just ten laps in Verstappen is already seven seconds clear of Perez now in second with Norris third and Alonso fourth, Oscar Piastri completes the top five.
The first retirement came 21 laps in as Valtteri Bottas pulls over with an issue. Engine failure for the KICK Sauber see's the car pulled over to the side - eventually the VSC is deployed for the stranded Sauber. The grid is neutralised for the time being.
And eventually on Lap 23 the full Safety Car was deployed.
After a few laps behind the Safety Car and Virtual Safety Car the grid got the green flag and are back racing with Verstappen keeping his lead, with Norris in second and Charles Leclerc third, Perez is fourth and Carlos Sainz fifth.
At the back of the grid Yuki Tsunoda is spun round and a deflated rear tyre means the RB is out. The Japanese driver was clipped by the Haas of Kevin Magnussen on the exit of the corner and Lance Stroll then goes into the back of the RB. Both Stroll and Magnussen pitted. The Safety Car is deployed just a few corners after the previous one ended.
The racing got back underway for a second time on Lap 32, the restart is a carbon copy of the previous rolling start.
The final bit of drama and the final retirement came on lap 34 when the second RB of Daniel Ricciardo is forced to retire the car due to damage sustained in an incident involving being re-ended by Stroll.
The next race is the Miami Grand Prix.
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