China sprint race adds more intrigue to new F1 season

DRIVERS' WAR OF WORDS MATCHED BY BATTLES UNFOLDING ON TRACK

- BY JAYDIP SENGUPTA Pages Editor

Fans watch Ferrari's team members during pit stop practice ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit yesterday.

The most intriguing Formula 1 season in recent memory got off to a spectacular start at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne last week, with 120 overtakes and a thrilling tussle for the lead over multiple laps between eventual winner Mercedes’ George Russell and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who finished third.

While F1 has been presenting last Sunday’s race as a triumph, the drivers are divided as to whether the new rules create “incredible” racing or “probably the worst” cars in F1 history.

Russell and teammate Kimi Antonelli, who called the action “incredible,” are the new cars’ biggest cheerleaders after finishing first and second, but Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, who finished fourth, is upbeat too after suggesting in preseason the rules might be too complex for fans to follow.

Complex or not, the seven-time world champion’s teammate Leclerc believes the new rules have been drafted to reward a different skill set. “Before, it was more about who is the bravest at braking the latest,” said the Monegasque driver. “Now there’s a bit more of a strategic mind behind every move you make because every boost button activation, you know you're going to pay the price big time after that.”