Key numbers after the Chinese Grand Prix
Last weekend saw Formula One return to the Shanghai International Circuit for the Chinese Grand Prix after a five-year hiatus. F1Technical's senior writer Balázs Szabó picks out key lessons we learnt from Round 4 of the 2024 F1 season.
1.9 seconds – Red Bull did not only win in China in dominant fashion, but the Milton Keynes-based outfit were also brilliant during the pit stops. In fact, Red Bull’s four pit stops were truly incredible in Shanghai. They performed a double stack on Lap 13 with these stops taking only 2.18s and 2.00s.
But their mechanics weren’t finished yet. When a safety car came out on lap 23, they again brought both cars in one after the other. This time, Verstappen was up on the jacks for just 1.90 seconds – a record for the current season - while Perez was sent on his way in a respectable 2.05 seconds.
22.28s – Considering the average time spent in the pit lane, Red Bull were quickest once again. Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen spent 22.28s in the pit lane on average during their four stops. McLaren finished second on this list (22.34s), followed by Ferrari (22.38s) and Mercedes (22.50s). The average time spent in the pit lane was 23.7 with Kick Sauber, Haas, Aston Martin and Alpine requiring more time than the average.
9 – Lewis Hamilton gained the most places during the Chinese Grand Prix. The Briton delivered a fantastic performance in the sprint shootout qualifying, and claimed second spot on the grid for the 100km dash which he was able to hold on to.
However, he failed to qualify higher than P18 on the grid for the grand prix after making a costly mistake on his final hot lap in Q1. It meant that he was forced to work his way up in the race, gaining a total of nine position on his way to P9.
21st – Highlighting the dominance of Max Verstappen was the fact that the Dutchman clinched his 21st win in the last 23 grands prix. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was the only other driver to have won in this period with the Spaniard taking victory in Singapore last year and in Melbourne this season.
26 – Max Verstappen won in China for the first time which means that he has been victorious on 26 different circuits so far in his career.
100th – Red Bull clinched their 100th F1 pole position in China courtesy of Max Verstappen. This venue was the circuit on which the Milton Keynes-based outfit scored their first pole position back in 2009 thanks to four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel.
11th – Esteban Ocon finished 11th at the Chinese Grand Prix. Although the result is not a remarkable one in itself, but it clearly showed a small step of improvement at Alpine after their woeful start to the season.
The Anglo-French team’s 2024 F1 car has been inconsistent so far, lacking pace mainly in high-speed corners and long straighs. However, it seems that the new floor that debuted on Ocon’s car in China, has made the car a bit more competitive.
3 – Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg has started the year in encouraging fashion. The German driver scored points in three of the first five races, finishing P10 in Jeddah and Shanghai and P9 in Melbourne. Considering that he only scored once in a grand prix last year, it has been a much stronger start for the German, who has announced his departure from Haas since the Chinese Grand Prix.
5 – A total of five teams brought upgrades to China. While the development of Mercedes, Williams and RB was restricted to the halo and the headrest of the car, Alpine introduced a heavily revised floor in Shanghai. Haas have brought an even bigger upgrade package, debuting a new floor, engine cover and mirror housing.
1m37.810s – Fernando Alonso took the additional point for the quickest lap time in Shanghai. Despite fighting at the front at the beginning of the race, the Spanish driver was unable to challenge for top positions due to the tyre degradation of his Aston Martin AMR24.
However, completing a late pit stop during the race, the two-time world champion posted the quickest lap on Pirelli’s soft tyres to snatch the additional point away from Max Verstappen.
Four – Four drivers finished the sprint and the grand prix in the same position: Verstappen won both races with his team-mate Sergio Perez taking third spot on both days. Ferrari drivers Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc finished both the sprint and the grand prix in P4 and P5 respectively.
Six- Six different teams scored in China. Ferrari, Red Bull, McLaren and Mercedes scored points with both cars on both days. Aston Martin scored points only in the grand prix with one car courtesy of Fernando Alonso. Haas clinched their fifth point this season after Nico Hulkenberg finished the Shanghai round in P10.
Five – A total of five laps were deleted at the Chinese Grand Prix which is below the average during the season. Pierre Gasly had two laps times deleted, exceeding the track limits both at Turn 6 and 14. Nico Hulkenberg, Logan Sargeant and Alexander Albon were all found guilty of going over the track limits once in Turn 6.
Seven – A total of seven parts were changed during the parc fermé between the main qualifying and the grand prix. Ferrari equipped Carlos Sainz’s car with a new front wing assembly and right-hand sidepod following the Spaniard’s crash in qualifying.
Aston Martin changed the fuel collector assembly and the parameters associated with it on Fernando Alonso’s car. Williams equipped Logan Sargeant’s FW46 with a new rear wing assembly, ERS cooler bypass manifold and O-rings.
Six – Six drivers received new power units and/or gearbox components in Shanghai. George Russell raced with a fresh internal combustion engine, while the two Kick Sauber drivers Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu and the two Haas racers Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg competed with a new exhaust system.
Two drivers elected to use a new gearbox case and driveline at the Chinese Grand Prix: Zhou Guanyu and Oscar Piastri.
