There were a few standout performances at the Chinese Grand Prix as the first Sprint weekend of the season came and went.
It’s once again hard to look past Max Verstappen as he added another victory to his collection during the Grand Prix after winning for the first time this season without starting on pole position on Saturday.
Speaking on the F1 Nation Podcast, Mercedes reserve and test driver Frederik Vesti wanted to hand out praise to another driver who showed their worth in Shanghai.
Verstappen was once again snubbed for Driver of the Day with his dominant performances now the norm in Formula 1.
Instead, it was given to McLaren star Lando Norris who became the first driver this season to split the two Red Bulls on the podium.
He perfectly executed his strategy and even though he was aided by back-to-back safety cars, once racing got going again Sergio Perez couldn’t catch him.
Frederik Vesti admitted he was surprised by how well Norris dealt with being sandwiched between Verstappen and Perez in China.
It’s another example of the 24-year-old proved he’s one of the best drivers on the grid as he continues to search for his first race victory.
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Frederik Vesti left surprised by Lando Norris at the Chinese Grand Prix
While it wouldn’t have counted towards his official tally, Norris had the perfect opportunity to take the chequered flag first in China.
His immense lap in a wet final session of Sprint qualifying put him on pole position, but a far-than-ideal start to the race ended up scuppering his chances before going into turn two.
Lewis Hamilton used all of his racing acumen to run Norris wide around the sweeping first corner and Norris decided to keep his foot in rather than yield the position.
It saw him plummet down the order and while he stayed ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri, he could only pick up a couple of points.
He made amends in the Grand Prix, picking off Fernando Alonso with ease and running in the lead of the race after both Red Bulls changed their tyres.
Valtteri Bottas’s engine failure initially brought out a virtual safety car and both Norris and rival Charles Leclerc benefitted before the actual safety car came out.
Norris and Perez were on similar aged tyres and Vesti was surprised that the Mexican failed to put him under more pressure as a result.
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Lando Norris showed his ability with fantastic Chinese Grand Prix drive
Reflecting on the race, Vesti said: “I must say of course a strong result for Max [Verstappen] but a really impressive race coming from Lando [Norris].
“He was really fast and I was quite surprised that he was able to keep such a gap to Sergio [Perez] and I really think his last stint was strong, so that was really impressive.”
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella will be delighted that Norris managed to secure another podium for the team.
Oscar Piastri simply couldn’t match his teammate’s pace in either race and while he had damage on Sunday, the young Australian will know that’s an aspect of his driving style he needs to improve.
Norris appeared to be as surprised as Vesti that he achieved a 2-place finish in Shanghai, and admitted he had a friendly bet with his engineer on how far behind the Ferraris he would be.
While Leclerc was putting Perez under pressure and that ultimately helped Norris secure his position, Ferrari will be slightly concerned that they were slower than the lead McLaren.
It suggests we could be in for another close battle throughout the season, although many will hope that both teams can close the gap to Red Bull going forward.
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