The Australian Daniel Ricciardo, on Red Bull, won the GP of China, third round of the 2018 Formula 1 World Championship. At the Shanghai circuit, he preceded the Finn Valtteri Bottas, in the Mercedes, and Kimi Raikkonen in the Ferrari. Immediately at the foot of the podium, world champion Lewis Hamilton, with Mercedes, finished in fourth place thanks to a 10-second penalty inflicted on the Dutchman of Red Bull Max Verstappen, who preceded him to the finish line, for a maneuver incorrect on Vettel.
Incorrect maneuver that heavily penalized the German of the Red Army, who after two consecutive victories so he has to settle for a bitter eighth place, precisely paying for the contact with the Red Bull driver. Sixth place for Nico Hulkenberg (Renault). Fernando Alonso (McLaren) also scored in the points, seventh, who also overtook Vettel in the final stages, then Carlos Sainz (Renault), ninth, and Kevin Magnussen (Haas), tenth.
The decisive episode was then commented by Sebastian Vettel after the race, on the microphones of Sky: “The races are like this. These things happen, it was bad for both of us. There's not much to add. I lost balance with a lot of oversteer, it was difficult to stay on the track, I was just trying to survive". This is how the German commented on Max Verstappen's clumsy overtaking attempt which caused both Ferrari and Red Bull to spin. "The races sometimes do you a favor, other times they go wrong...", the German said again on the microphones of Sky.
Vettel therefore collects only 4 points in China, which still allow him to keep the lead in the Drivers' World Championship with 54 total points. Behind him are the two standard bearers of Mercedes: Hamilton with 45 points and Bottas with 40. Ricciardo with today's victory takes a leap forward and is now fourth in the general standings, ahead of the other Ferrari driver Raikkonen. Next grand prix in Azerbaijan.
