It was a ding-dong battle for five pulsating laps, the lead changing hands six times, but George Russell broke free to win the sprint ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix.
The victory under the sun in Shanghai extends the Briton’s lead in the championship to 11 points over his Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli. Yes, the Silver Arrows are fast but they are not way out on their own. The Ferraris are keeping Russell honest.
Charles Leclerc finished second for the Italian team, Lewis Hamilton third, with McLaren’s defending world champion Lando Norris fourth and Antonelli fifth.
That is how it was as Russell fought with Hamilton for the lead in those turbulent opening exchanges. One would pass the other, using his battery deployment at the critical moment and then the other would return the favour.
Artificial? Probably. Entertaining? Yes, but only as 20/20 cricket is compared to the five-day game. It was fun but for the wrong reasons.
That is not to diminish the skills on display. Hamilton is clearly enjoying a revival this season, even if he was passed on lap eight of the 19 by his team-mate Leclerc and later by Antonelli, who got off to a terrible start.
George Russell with Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc (left) and Lewis Hamilton on the podium
A safety car came out five laps from the end when Nico Hulkenberg’s Audi gave up the ghost. All the top cars pitted, requiring double-stacking. Russell was advantaged by this, but he had earned the right. Antonelli, by this stage second, dropped down to seventh, partly for serving a 10-second penalty for having rammed into Isack Hadjar’s Red Bull on the opening lap.
Leclerc assumed second place, while Hamilton dropped to fourth, a slot behind Norris. The pair exchanged places late on, helped by the Ferrari being faster than the McLaren.
Max Verstappen made a sluggish start from eighth and finished ninth and out of the points..
Ollie Bearman did not stop under the safety car and finished a credible eighth for Haas. The tall Brit is doing well.
