Formula 1: Winners and losers from the 2018 Chinese Grand Prix

The Chinese Grand Prix was an exhilarating third race in the 2018 Formula 1 season, as Daniel Ricciardo and Red Bull Racing upset Ferrari. Check out the list of winners and losers from China.

Three races into the Formula 1 season, China proved to be an exhilarating addition for the fans as Daniel Ricciardo and Red Bull Racing upset Ferrari to take the win. Who carries the momentum into Baku? Here is your list of winners and losers from China.

Winners

Daniel Ricciardo: Nicknamed “the Honey Badger”, Ricciardo was simply ferocious during the Chinese Grand Prix, making several spectacular passing moves toward the end of the race. As the cars were forced to slow due to a safety car release, the Red Bull team set up both Ricciardo and Verstappen on new tires to take the fight to the leaders. Only Ricciardo was able to convert that into a win by putting on the best performance in a race this year, and he did so after barely making the qualifying session.

Nico Hulkenberg: The Renault factory driver made the winners list due to his steady placement in the top ten of all three races in the season. With a sixth place finish in China, Hulkenberg has been outperforming his teammate and showing off the improved Renault package this year. He is also one of only five drivers that have scored points in every race so far in 2018.

Valtteri Bottas: Even though Bottas has yet to win a race this Formula 1 season, the Finn has been consistently in second place over the last two races. He hasn’t put on a true show, but he has been able to make passes, hold position and deliver points with Mercedes and help keep the team one point ahead of Ferrari in the constructor standings.

Kimi Raikkonen: After failing to finish the Bahrain Grand Prix, this weekend was a positive step for Raikkonen. The veteran driver also gained some of those oh-so-valuable points that may make difference for the Ferrari team in their points battle with Mercedes in the constructor championship. Raikkonen makes the list of winners because of the fact that after the issues that he and the team suffered last weekend, this weekend would almost certainly have to be considered a win. Go Kimi.

Losers

Sebastian Vettel: Vettel was able to take pole in China, and with two race wins already in hand so far this season, he looked to be the favorite to take the win again. But with a combination of old tires, the wrong tire strategy, and a Red Bull driver taking him out, there was no chance for the German to make it three straight victories. Vettel still maintains his lead in the driver standings, but Lewis Hamilton is within 10 points now. Vettel is still considered the favorite according to the updated Formula 1 driver power rankings.

Max Verstappen: The young Verstappen had a prime opportunity to win the Chinese Grand Prix, but his hard-nosed racing and tenacity in the heat of battle may have gotten the best of him. After a bobble trying to pass Lewis Hamilton which resulted in several lost positions, he was pushing harder than ever as the race was winding down. As he tried to pass Sebastian Vettel for third place, the Dutchman made a very questionable move that not only ruined his own shot at a podium but also set Vettel back several places.

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Pierre Gasly: After a superb performance in Bahrain that saw the young Toro Rosso driver place fourth, Gasly’s weekend in China was perhaps not the follow-up that he would have desired. He was able to make up nine places in the latter half of the race, but he also caused the collision that shook up the field when the safety car was deployed. Furthermore, he broke the cardinal rule of Formula 1: don’t hit your teammate, even if it was as a result of a “miscommunication”.

Romain Grosjean: Halfway through the race, Grosjean was in tenth place looking to score points along with his teammate Kevin Magnussen. After the restart, Grosjean’s tires had not retained the heat necessary, and he began to lose places. On lap 47, the Haas driver went from 13th position all the way down to last. He was able to make up a couple of spots before the final lap, but he has been behind Magnussen in the last two races by quite a bit of time and has failed to bring home any points for himself or the team so far this season.

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The next stop for the 2018 Formula 1 season is on the streets of Baku, Azerbaijan on the 3.730-mile track. This will be the third race on the circuit as the lap record holder Sebastian Vettel looks to put himself back on top. With China having been such an exhilarating race, all eyes will be on the next installment of Formula 1 and who will take the checkered flag.

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