Verstappen Commands Chinese GP with RB20 Mastery

Max Verstappen clinched a tactical victory at the Chinese GP, skillfully harnessing the RB20’s capabilities.

Max Verstappen dominated the Chinese F1 Grand Prix, claiming a controlled victory ahead of Lando Norris. The Dutch driver praised his ability to manage the race with a top-performing Red Bull RB20, noting its excellence.

“A fantastic weekend, we were incredibly fast and the car was delightful with all tire compounds. We survived the restarts well, and the car had great pace; I could do whatever I wanted with it, and it’s crazy to see what we achieved this weekend,” Verstappen stated.

In the penultimate lap, the three-time world champion was concerned about debris on the track: “You hear noises, I’ve had them before, and there were debris so I went at 300, and it’s easy to puncture them when they’re cold, so I wanted to check them.”

The next GP is in Miami, where he had one of his most memorable wins in 2023: “It’s usually a good race for us, easier with strategies, but it’s a good circuit, and the weekend is often crazy, so it will be interesting.”

Pérez “lacked pace” in race

Meanwhile, Sergio Pérez failed to secure the one-two finish, ending nearly 20 seconds behind Verstappen despite a Safety Car after mid-race. The Mexican is frustrated to have lost two places to Norris and Charles Leclerc during the Safety Car.

“I was a bit unlucky with the Safety Cars, losing two places. I spent most of the race on hard tires, we had to battle a few laps then the tires would collapse, but I managed to finish on the podium instead of completing a one-two,” Pérez indicated.

However, he is concerned about a somewhat disappointing race pace compared to Norris and also the Ferraris. Despite a good weekend, he wants to delve into the data to understand the reasons for this result.

“We lacked pace, especially with the medium tires, the balance changed a lot during the race. But overall, it was a good weekend, we need to understand why the race pace was a bit off today.”