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Chinese Grand Prix: A hard-fought weekend ends in points for Isack
Isack Hadjar recovered from an early spin to battle his way to an eighth-place finish to cap off a frustrating, attritional Chinese Grand Prix in which Max Verstappen was forced to retire from sixth place, just 11 laps from home.
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Hear from the Team after a tough weekend in Shanghai.
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Bulls ring the changes on the way to P8 and P9 in Shanghai Qualifying
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Hear from The Team after Qualifying in China
The Bulls battled back from difficult Shanghai Sprint to take eighth and ninth spots on the grid for the Chinese Grand Prix.
With both drivers struggling in the morning’s 19-lap race, the team made major changes in the time leading up to Qualifying and the adjustments paid immediate dividends, with Max and Isack easing through Q1 using just a single set of fresh Softs.
Q2 proved a little trickier, with Isack unable to improve on his opening run time which allowed other teams a chance. However, with yellow flags waved for Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto following a spin into the gravel, and ultimately a bump into the barrier, at the final corner, lap times weren’t improving for the other drivers.
Through to Q3 and aiming for more improvements, both Max and Isack pushed hard with a final result of P8 and P9 respectively, with Isack just 0.119s off his team-mate.
The result leaves Max alongside Alpine’s Pierre Gasly on the grid and just behind the McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Isack will start just ahead of Haas’ Ollie Bearman and at the front of the grid, Kimi Antonelli became F1’s youngest ever pole winner, taking the record set by Sebastian Vettel at the 2008 Italian Grand Prix.
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Tough China Sprint takes its toll on Bulls
Despite a late-race charge, a tough Shanghai Sprint saw Max cross the line just outside the points in ninth place, with Isack down in 15th, as a combination of starting line power issues, accident damage and shredded tyres hit the team hard.
As the lights went out to start the 19-lap Sprint Race, Max’s car seemed to have lost power, pushing him towards the back of the pack as Isack got away well from P10. However, following his positive start, Isack was then hit by Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli into turn 3, leaving the Frenchman with damage to the bargeboard and floor for the remainder of the Sprint.
Despite the damage to his car Isack battled hard in the opening stages, passing Alpine’s Pierre Gasly to take P8 but as his Soft tyre began to fade, he dropped back. It was a struggle for Max, too, as early gains stalled as his left front grained.
The Bulls were handed a late lifeline by a Safety Car, released when Audi’s Nico Hülkenberg stopped at Turn 1. The field pitted and a stacked stop saw Max and Isack take Soft tyres and rejoin in P14 and P17 respectively. Max immediately went on the attack but though he powered through the pack, there was just not enough time, and he crossed the line in P9, while Isack, still struggling with damage, climbed to 15th at the flag.
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P8 and 10 for the Bulls in Shanghai Sprint Quali
Max Verstappen is set to start the Sprint Race at the Chinese Grand Prix from P8 on the grid, with Isack Hadjar in P10 after a tricky Qualifying at the Shanghai International Circuit.
Both Bulls were hampered by handling woes, with complaints about the power delivery of RB22 in SQ1 which meant, as a result, neither was able to hang on to the front runners as the session evolved.
Max made two attempts on Soft tyres in SQ3 and it was his opening run of 1:33.254 that netted P8 for the Dutchman. With a trip to the Stewards on the cards, that position may yet change after an incident in SQ2 with Pierre Gasly. Isack put in only a single run in SQ3, and the Frenchman did a good job in making it through to 10th place, behind the Haas of Ollie Bearman. At the top of the order, Mercedes’ George Russell took pole for the Sprint ahead of team-mate Kimi Antonelli and McLaren’s Lando Norris. With pace still to find, there’s a lot for the Bulls to learn across tomorrow’s 19-lap Sprint.