For the 21 time in 23 races, Max Verstappen was standing on the top step of the podium.
The Dutchman added the Chinese Grand Prix to the list of events he’s won ahead of Lando Norris and Sergio Perez.
However, while debriefing before heading to the podium – in a clip shared by Sky Sports F1 – Max Verstappen was left stunned by one event that took place during the race.
At the front of the pack, Verstappen doesn’t get to enjoy too much action.
He had to pull off a couple of overtakes on Saturday in the Sprint Race but doesn’t come across much traffic on the road typically.
However, Verstappen’s restart from the first safety car during the Chinese Grand Prix ended up compromising Lance Stroll’s race among others.
The 25-year-old was caught in a concertina heading into the final hairpin on the circuit.
And it may have been his teammate that ultimately cost him and Daniel Ricciardo…
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Max Verstappen shocked by Lance Stroll’s shunt during Chinese Grand Prix
The chain of events was started by Valtteri Bottas’s Sauber giving up the ghost midway through the race.
The Finn was the first retirement of the Grand Prix and despite a dozen marshals surrounding his car, they couldn’t shift it from the circuit.
It meant a full safety car had to be called and after Verstappen pitted, he stayed in the lead ahead of Lando Norris.
He was concentrating on getting his restart correct and got a great launch heading out of the penultimate corner.
Unfortunately for Stroll, the cars behind Verstappen didn’t follow his lead and his Chinese Grand Prix was ruined as a result.
The Canadian wasn’t the only one, with Ricciardo sustaining race-ending damage when the 25-year-old drove into the back of him.
Looking back at the replays, it appears as though everyone was reacting to Fernando Alonso locking up heading into the right-hander.
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Post-race debrief provides entertainment after fascinating Chinese Grand Prix
As always, the top three drivers were shown highlights of the race before heading to the podium.
Lance Stroll’s shunt then flashed up and Verstappen said: “Whoa, oh my god! No way!”
Sergio Perez questioned: “Was that under the safety car?” and Lando Norris joked: “It’s all because of you that.”
Tongue-in-cheek, Verstappen added: “It’s my fault.”
Another difficult weekend for Lance Stroll
The Chinese Grand Prix was fantastic for Max Verstappen but it was another weekend where Lance Stroll failed to add to his points tally.
He qualified 15 for the Sprint Race and only climbed a single position in a car that should have been running in the points.
Stroll once again missed out on Q3 for the main race but made up a couple of positions early on to give himself a chance of scoring points.
Unfortunately, his delayed reaction to the cars going into that hairpin saw him destroy Daniel Ricciardo’s diffuser, damage his front wing and pick up a ten-second penalty for causing a collision.
He’s already addressed his future beyond 2024 and there will be calls from Aston Martin fans to replace him if they want to challenge for wins and championships.
Given his father’s position in the team, that’s not going to happen, but he needs to find a way to close the gap to Fernando Alonso.
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