Nico Rosberg feels one Formula 1 driver is on ‘another planet’ at the 2024 Chinese GP after producing an ‘insane’ performance in the 19-lap Sprint in Shanghai on Saturday.
The Jiading District held the first Sprint of the 2024 season as F1 returned for the first time since 2019. Formula 1 has stayed away from the East Asian country in recent years due to its strict Covid-19 restrictions. But the Chinese GP, finally, returned to the calendar this season.
Red Bull racer Max Verstappen won the F1 Sprint to continue his dominant start to the 2024 season at the Chinese GP. The 26-year-old even won with a margin of 13 seconds to Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes. A third place for Sergio Perez also secured Red Bull a one-two finish.
Nico Rosberg found Max Verstappen’s Chinese GP Sprint speed ‘insane’
Verstappen has now won three of the four Grand Prix and the only Sprint to begin his third Formula 1 drivers’ championship defence. A brake problem at the Australian GP denied the Dutchman a win after dominating the Bahrain GP, Saudi Arabian GP and, also, Japanese GP.
The manner in which Verstappen won the F1 Sprint at the Chinese GP also astounded 2016 champion, Rosberg. He found it ‘insane’ how quickly the Red Bull driver established his lead after overtaking Hamilton with a simple move on the inside of the Turn 14 hairpin on Lap 9.
READ MORE: 5 unforgettable Chinese GP moments including Schumacher’s last win in F1
Verstappen built a 13-second lead on Hamilton in only 10 laps of the Shanghai International Circuit. The Hasselt, Belgium-born star even pulled one-and-a-half-seconds away from the Stevenage-born star on his first lap in the lead of the F1 Sprint and on the last of the 19 laps.
“Everybody behind [Verstappen] is on a similar level and the racing was awesome,” Rosberg told Sky Sports F1 (20/4, 05:35). “It was just such an awesome Sprint race, so cool, [there was] so much going on. The only difficulty is Max Verstappen’s pace.
“When he had the clean air, it’s just insane how quick he is with that car. [He is on] another planet. That’s a little bit of a difficulty [for F1]. But, apart from that, it was amazing.”
Max Verstappen dominated the F1 Sprint at the Shanghai International Circuit
Verstappen hammered home his dominance of Formula 1 as soon he overtook Hamilton for the lead of the Sprint. No driver could match the Red Bull racer’s pace once he overtook the Mercedes legend for P1. He also made light work of overtaking Fernando Alonso for second.
Alonso put up zero fight when Verstappen sought to move ahead of the Aston Martin driver on Lap 7. The Spaniard knew he would not be able to defend from the Dutchman’s blistering pace that astounded Rosberg. The pass even put Verstappen two seconds behind Hamilton.
Red Bull and Verstappen will hope he can dominate the Chinese GP as strongly on Sunday. It is the 57-time Grand Prix winner’s 190th entry since having his debut with Toro Rosso at the 2015 Australian GP. Just Hamilton (103) and Michael Schumacher (91) have won more so far.
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