The second day of the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix finally took place with the Sprint Race and traditional qualifying. Here’s what happened on Saturday in Shanghai
April 20, 2024
FDoes it work or not? Usual opinions are dividedwhat is certain is that the sprint race in China, which took place on Saturday morning and the qualification for the race on Sunday in the afternoon, detracts from one of the two. Because if the 19 sprint laps saw the Verstappen’s victorywho started fourth, ahead of Hamilton And Perezwith the two Ferrari standard bearers Leclerc and Sainz at loggerheadswith related controversies on the radio, three hours later everything was canceled from the fight for the pole positionwhich he saw again Verstappen ahead of Perez and Alonsothen land two McLarens of Norris and Piastri and the Ferrari duo Leclerc Sainz trailed by just 12 thousandths. What to talk about first? Of the comment and controversy following the Sprint, in which Alonso, for still being a driver (i.e. he fought wheel to wheel with Sainz) did he get a penalty and three points on his license? Of the tLeclerc’s angry radio eam accusing Sainz that you fought too much alone with him (forgetting about Monza when he was the one who bothered you and you turned to your teammate for the podium)?
ORor praise in qualification the flash of SainzThat first he hits the wall with the Ferrari, they suspend testing, he goes back to the pits with a broken nose, the mechanics put him back on the track and he sets a time in just one lap that is 12 thousandths of a second behind Leclerc? Or again Alonso who, regardless of the penalties and arrogantly, greets the public in Chinese after third place and, moreover, just a hair’s breadth from Perez who has a Red Bull in his hands, not pizzas and figs? Well, the idea of the Sprint race had already divided (as usual) supporters and detractors. This new format is perplexing, because a race is a race and therefore should be the highlight of the day. Instead three hours later it is no longer worth anything. In fact, the matter becomes even more complicated. Because the 3 penalty points given to Alonso didn’t go down, nor did the penalty and a complaint is underway. Luckily the cars didn’t have any major damage in the sprint race, but what if that had happened (also add engine failure) there wouldn’t have been time to remedy this and therefore the Sunday race was in vain.
TO After more than 20 years, we can see how the format of the qualifications divided into three parts (an idea by Flavio Briatore) is still valid and provides a spectacle. Sprint races, on the other hand, are undergoing changes year after year and if on some occasions they have been beautiful and fun, on others boring and useless. Here in China there were at least some polemical pointsseeing Hamilton leading the race and finishing second, only to then qualify 18th for Sunday’s race (basically the penultimate row!) and it’s not clear which of the two Hamiltons is the real one. The blows at Ferrari are only just beginning, because Sainz has some things to spit up after what he suffered in previous years (and Monza 2023 is just an example of something that has not yet digested) so let’s be ready to other epic moments (in the sense of controversy) that will cause discussion. But with three hours of time between sprints and qualifications, everything is watered down, as is the information that is diluted, forced and spat out at a rapid pace, with efforts for those who have to tell and which after a couple of hours is already old and to be throw away. Is this the F1 you like?
