The 2024 Chinese Grand Prix Thread

[cmlean]

This is the place to discuss everything related to the 5th round of the 2024 season taking place in Shanghai between the 19th and 21st of April.

The event timetable for the Chinese Grand Prix.

This is the first Sprint weekend format for 2024.

Friday
1st Practice 11:30 local time - 03:30 GMT
Sprint Qualifying 15:30 local time - 07:30 GMT

Saturday
Sprint 11:00 local time - 03:00 GMT
Qualifying 15:00 local time - 07:00 GMT

Sunday
Race 15:00 local time - 07:00 GMT

[cmlean]

This will be the first Chinese Grand Prix for 5 years. How time flies.
With the sprint format weekend, the teams will all be out in Practice 1 dialing in their cars. Just who has spent time in the simulator and how the results translate back into the real world, time will tell.

[cmlean]

Practice

Code: Select all

Pos	Time		Driver		  Team
1	1:36.302	Lance Stroll	  Aston Martin
2	1:36.629	Oscar Piastri	  McLaren
3	1:36.660	Max Verstappen	  Red Bull Racing
4	1:36.690	Sergio Perez	  Red Bull Racing
5	1:37.101	Nico Hulkenberg	  Haas
6	1:37.118	Kevin Magnussen	  Haas
7	1:37.213	Esteban Ocon	  Alpine
8	1:37.229	Alexander Albon	  Williams
9	1:37.238	Daniel Ricciardo  RB
10	1:37.530	Valtteri Bottas	  Sauber
11	1:37.626	Zhou Guanyu	  Sauber
12	1:38.006	Yuki Tsunoda	  RB
13	1:38.090	Charles Leclerc	  Ferrari
14	1:38.284	Carlos Sainz	  Ferrari
15	1:38.286	Logan Sargeant	  Williams
16	1:38.630	Lando Norris	  McLaren
17	1:38.806	George Russell	  Mercedes
18	1:38.839	Lewis Hamilton	  Mercedes
19	1:38.936	Fernando Alonso	  Aston Martin
20	1:39.276	Pierre Gasly	  Alpine

[cmlean]

There was also a red flag brought out due to a grass fire in, I think, turn 5.
It appears that the sparks from the skid blocks are ending up on the grass.

[cmlean]

Sprint Qualifying

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Pos	Time		Driver		  Team
1	1:57.940	Lando Norris	  McLaren
2	1:59.201	Lewis Hamilton	  Mercedes
3	1:59.915	Fernando Alonso	  Aston Martin 
4	2:00.028	Max Verstappen	  Red Bull Racing
5	2:00.214	Carlos Sainz	  Ferrari
6	2:00.375	Sergio Perez	  Red Bull Racing
7	2:00.566	Charles Leclerc	  Ferrari
8	2:00.990	Oscar Piastri	  McLaren
9	2:01.044	Valtteri Bottas	  Sauber
10	2:03.537	Zhou Guanyu	  Sauber
_________________________________________________________
11	1:36.345	George Russell	  Mercedes
12	1:36.473	Kevin Magnussen	  Haas
13	1:36.478	Nico Hulkenberg	  Haas
14	1:36.553	Daniel Ricciardo  RB
15	1:36.677	Lance Stroll	  Aston Martin
_________________________________________________________
16	1:37.632	Pierre Gasly	  Alpine
17	1:37.720	Esteban Ocon	  Alpine
18	1:37.812	Alexander Albon	  Williams
19	1:37.892	Yuki Tsunoda	  RB
20	1:37.923	Logan Sargeant	  Williams

[cmlean]

It was the session that had everything.
At the end of Q1. the grass fire came back in turn 5.
Biggest shock exit in the session was Yuki Tsunoda. After out-qualifying Daniel Ricciardo all season, he was finally beaten.

Q2 had it all. There was the chance of rain at the end of the session and, for once, the weather forecasters got it exactly right.
George Russell, Lance Stroll and, to a lesser degree, Daniel Ricciardo all failed to progress as the rain came tumbling down.
Local hero Zhou Guanyu also made it through to Q3.

Q3 was held in wet conditions and all remaining drivers experienced a severe lack of grip. Cars speared off everywhere but all manage to avoid damage.
The final moments and it was anyone on pole. Lewis had it, then Lando took it off him, then Lando had his time removed and then had it reinstated.
It was hard keeping up with what was going on.

In the end, Lando Norris took pole from Lewis Hamilton.

[cmlean]

Sprint Results

Code: Select all

Pos	Driver		  Team
1	Max Verstappen	  Red Bull Racing
2	Lewis Hamilton	  Mercedes
3	Sergio Perez	  Red Bull Racing
4	Charles Leclerc	  Ferrari
5	Carlos Sainz	  Ferrari
6	Lando Norris	  McLaren
7	Oscar Piastri	  McLaren
8	George Russell	  Mercedes
9	Zhou Guanyu	  Sauber
10	Kevin Magnussen	  Haas
11	Daniel Ricciardo  RB
12	Valtteri Bottas	  Sauber
13	Esteban Ocon	  Alpine
14	Lance Stroll	  Aston Martin
15	Pierre Gasly	  Alpine
16	Yuki Tsunoda	  RB
17	Alexander Albon	  Williams
18	Logan Sargeant	  Williams
19	Nico Hulkenberg	  Haas
DNF	Fernando Alonso	  Aston Martin

[cmlean]

Qualifying

Code: Select all

Pos	Time		Driver		  Team
1	1:33.660	Max Verstappen	  Red Bull Racing
2	1:33.982	Sergio Perez	  Red Bull Racing
3	1:34.148	Fernando Alonso	  Aston Martin
4	1:34.165	Lando Norris	  McLaren
5	1:34.273	Oscar Piastri	  McLaren
6	1:34.289	Charles Leclerc	  Ferrari
7	1:34.297	Carlos Sainz	  Ferrari
8	1:34.433	George Russell	  Mercedes
9	1:34.604	Nico Hulkenberg	  Haas
10	1:34.665	Valtteri Bottas	  Sauber
___________________________________________________
11	1:34.838	Lance Stroll	  Aston Martin
12	1:34.934	Daniel Ricciardo  RB
13	1:35.223	Esteban Ocon	  Alpine
14	1:35.241	Alexander Albon	  Williams
15	1:35.463	Pierre Gasly	  Alpine
___________________________________________________
16	1:35.505	Zhou Guanyu	  Sauber
17	1:35.516	Kevin Magnussen	  Haas
18	1:35.573	Lewis Hamilton	  Mercedes
19	1:35.746	Yuki Tsunoda	  RB
20	1:36.358	Logan Sargeant	  Williams

[cmlean]

Q1. Logan Sargeant spun his Williams on his final run ruining what chances he had in progressing into Q2. Lewis Hamilton and Yuki Tsunoda were eliminated. Crowd favorite Zhou Guanyu was also eliminated after appearing to have done enough to progress.
Q2. Carlos Sainz lost his Ferrari exiting the final turn ending up in the barriers. The red flag was thrown but Sainz restarted and drove back into the pits. Due to him not receiving outside assistance, he was permitted to continue when the session resumed.
Q3. Final positions were weren't decided until the last car crossed the line after the chequered flag was dropped. Max had pole locked away but P2 for the race moved from Piastri to Norris to Alonso before Sergia Perez claimed it.

[cmlean]

Race

Code: Select all

Pos	Driver		  Team
1	Max Verstappen	  Red Bull Racing
2	Lando Norris	  McLaren
3	Sergio Perez	  Red Bull Racing
4	Charles Leclerc	  Ferrari
5	Carlos Sainz	  Ferrari
6	George Russell	  Mercedes
7	Fernando Alonso	  Aston Martin
8	Oscar Piastri	  McLaren
9	Lewis Hamilton	  Mercedes
10	Nico Hulkenberg	  Haas
11	Esteban Ocon	  Alpine
12	Alexander Albon	  Williams
13	Pierre Gasly	  Alpine
14	Zhou Guanyu	  Sauber
15	Lance Stroll	  Aston Martin
16	Kevin Magnussen	  Haas
17	Logan Sargeant	  Williams
DNF	Daniel Ricciardo  RB
DNF	Yuki Tsunoda	  RB
DNF	Valtteri Bottas	  Sauber

Next: Round of Miami '24
Date: May 3rd-5th 2024