For a race that was mired with problems before it even started, the Chinese Grand Prix was surely filled with online betting drama up until the final lap of the race.
Moreover, although betting odds on betting websites had Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel as close competitors in the race, it was still a surprise to see the Red Bull drivers crashing the party of the two constructors who dominated the F1 curtain raiser two weeks ago.
Of course, Hamilton was particularly impressive in the Shanghai International Circuit as he dominated throughout despite an early challenge from Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and a late fightback from Vettel, who eventually ended up second.
The British driver was ahead by around 10 seconds midway through the race, and although that advantage was reduced to just a little over five seconds after he pitted on Lap 37 due to some tyre problems, he still held on and drove flawlessly to a comfortable victory.
The more interesting race, however, came in the battle for second and third with Verstappen storming from 17th in the starting grid to second come Lap 10.
Vettel dropped to fifth early as he went under a couple of safety car conditions following Antonio Giovinazzi’s crash that left some debris on the track. The German ace, nonetheless, roared back and reclaimed the second, surpassing Verstappen who locked on Lap 29 that put him onto the grass.
The Ferrari and Red Bull drivers though were left far behind and had little to zero chance to overtake as Hamilton took the flag with a 6.2-second lead.
Verstappen’s team-mate Daniel Ricciardo—who experienced some torque and engine problems—finished fourth while Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen ended up fifth. Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas went for sixth after falling way back to 12th.
Only 15 cars were able to see through the race with Lance Stroll and Daniil Kvyat forced to retire early after going off the track. Meanwhile, Fernando Alonso was also out midway due to some mechanical issues.
With the victory, Hamilton is now level on 43 points with Vettel as they head to Bahrain for the third race of the season. Verstappen, on the other hand, had his first podium finish of the year as he looks to carry the Red Bull back to contention.
In the battle for the constructors’ championship, Mercedes moved one up of Ferrari, 66 points to 65, after the Sunday race in Shanghai.
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