The Chinese Grand Prix on day 1 has been a total roller coaster as the fans and the stakeholders witnessed a lot of activities, from the F1P classification to the sprint race qualification. They also witnessed different drivers like Max Verstappen on top of the charts and how quickly the charts turned from F1P to the sprint qualification, as drivers who ended lower on the table at the F1P, like Lewis Hamilton, were seen as the second driver to top the charts in the sprint qualification.
The Chinese Grand Prix has kicked off beautifully, and it is too early to say who will break the ice and win the sprint, and after that, the whole major race is yet to subside. The return of the Shanghai circuit has definitely left a strong impact on the teams and the drivers, and it should turn out to be an excellent contest moving forward. At this stage, the talks revolve around Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes, with McLaren making a strong statement as Lando Norris finishes first in the sprint qualification.
Max Verstappen reveals what went wrong in the Sprint qualifying at the Chinese Grand Prix
The sprint qualification results showed Lewis Hamilton coming in second and Max Verstappen ending up in 4th place. During the post-race interview, Verstappen was seen to say, “It is difficult to keep the car on track and it never really switched on for me so, it felt like driving on ice.” A lot of fans have taken this qualification quite seriously, but the “real” Formula 1 fans believe that he can cross the line and win the sprint, and many fans also believe that this Chinese Grand Prix can set Verstappen in a higher position.
Max Verstappen is one of the highly qualified drivers of Formula 1 with an immaculate win record for Red Bull. But his luck at the Chinese Grand Prix has never worked, and it is a shock to the fans that he has no wins at the Shanghai international circuit. After the return of this track after 5 years, in FP1, Verstappen finished third, and in the first sprint race of 2024, he managed to secure 4th place, right behind Fernando Alonso.
Formula 1 fans troll Max Verstappen as Lewis Hamilton outranks him in the sprint qualification
Be it any sport, the fans comments are what take the most endorsements, and social media is by far the best way to make a player rise or fall. Similarly, Verstappen’s fans, even though he fell to 4th place in the sprint qualification, believe that he will get the better of the drivers on the sprint race day, and Verstappen could go on to win the sprint race and also the Grand Prix. The Dutchman’s fans are all excited for the race and highly value him, as he can take over everyone at the perfect time.
Currently, Verstappen has been a part of the 189 Grand Prix, where he has 57 wins, which includes 101 podiums. On the other hand, Hamilton has been a part of the 336 Grand Prix and has 103 wins, with 197 podiums to his name. Hamilton has been a seven-time champion, whereas Verstappen has been the champion only three times until now. This sprint qualification caused fans to raise comments and troll the Dutchman as Hamilton took two spots above Verstappen.
Verstappen had 3 attempts in a rocketship and still got owned 😭😭😭
— I don’t have a name (@vvoidlap58) April 19, 2024
Max Verstappen 2s behind pole 😭
He is washed. Max is already in China, so F4 for him— Marc | Formula 1 🏎 (@433_marc) April 19, 2024
Redbull guys didn't wake up or what?
— Crypto Feras (@CryptoFeras) April 19, 2024
It will be interesting to see: can the top of the chart drivers keep their momentum high and finish strong in the sprint race, or will it be the ones who are not in the top 3 to secure a win in the sprint race that is scheduled next? Verstappen would be ready to lock horns in this contest and prove why he is the best in business, but Hamilton looks eager to finish high for his team, and the competition is going to get fierce. Remember, Verstappen has never won it on the Shanghai circuit; could this race be a game changer?