2019 Formula 1 season, Round 3
Chinese Grand Prix
Shanghai International Circuit
Sunday 14 April
Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing will look to challenge the frontrunners when the 2019 Formula 1 season hosts Round 3, the Chinese Grand Prix, at the Shanghai International Circuit on Sunday 14 April.
Verstappen has thus far finished in third and fourth place at the Australian and Bahrain Grands Prix, giving him a haul of 27 points in the drivers’ championship. This enough to see him in third place overall, behind the Mercedes duo of Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton.
However, it is the consistency and maturity of Verstappen’s drives which have stood out. The Dutchman appears to have put his ‘wilder’ days behind him and is now combining pace and race craft to impressive effect, especially given that Red Bull remain slightly off the outright pace of Mercedes and Ferrari.
Yet Red Bull triumphed at the 2018 Chinese Grand Prix through former driver Daniel Ricciardo, and they must be hoping Verstappen can give them a repeat victory this year.
The expectation and excitement around the young Dutchman is in stark contrast to his teammate Pierre Gasly, who has thus far struggled since stepping up from Toro Rosso at the end of last season.
The Frenchman has only managed 11th and eighth-place finishes at the first two rounds and he will be under major pressure to step up his game and start contributing some major points to the Red Bull cause.
Formula 1 championship standings
Drivers – top three
Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) – 44 points
Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) – 43
Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 27
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Constructors – top three
Mercedes – 87 points
Ferrari – 48
Red Bull – 31
Chinese Grand Prix
First held: 2004
Most wins, driver: Lewis Hamilton, 5
Most wins, constructor: Mercedes, 5
Circuit length: 5.451 km
Race length: 305.066km
Laps: 56
Fastest lap: 1:32.283 – Michael Schumacher, 2004
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