F1 | Chinese GP – THE POINT by Gian Carlo Minardi

The critical point was the start. The mistakes done by Ferrari affected the results, and the numerous accidents and the safety-car enlivened the race. We watched amazing overtakings made by Ricciardo, Vettel, Kvyat, Massa who defended the sixth place, and Hamilton forced to start from the last row.

As we anticipated, the tire choice influences the strategies letting us to experience a race more vivid than those of last season, even if the supremacy of Mercedes remains. Nico Rosberg scored his third seasonal success in a row, leaving Sebastian Vettel with a gap of 37″. I don’t endorse the attack toward the Russian Red Bull driver made by the Ferrari man, because he is not guilty of the contact at the start. Rosberg managed the race very well, increasing his advantage in the overall standings, even if the season is very long with more eighteen scheduled events. This one may be his year. In spite of complications in qualifying and some damages in the bottom of his car, Lewis Hamilton recovered to the seventh place with a jerk, ending his race ahead of the two Toro Rosso cars. A sign of great strength from the team, because he could have fought for the podium, even if they have some reliability problems.

Red Bull is growing. They have an excellent frame and an extremely competitive car, but they aren’t supported at the best by the power-unit yet. Ricciardo was decidedly unfortunate: the punctured wheel early in the race deprived him of the podium in favor of his team-mate.

Williams fell again into his negative trend of early season, backed up by a car that can fight with Red Bull for the third and fourth place in the World Constructors’ Championship. At the end, Bottas was victim of the two young bulls, Verstappen and Sainz.

In fifteen days we’ll arrive in Russia, a circuit that is featureless compared to Shanghai. The choice of the tires could make it lively.