P8 and P11 for our Aussies in Chinese Sprint Race

There were mixed emotions for both our Australian drivers after the Sprint Race in China, with Oscar Piastri stealing two flattering points while Daniel Ricciardo relished in his near-top ten finish.

After gearbox issues in yesterday’s Sprint Qualifying session, Piastri was forced to line up from P8 on the grid this morning.

It was an unsatisfying grid slot for the 23-year-old, sitting out of sight from his teammate in pole position as the lights went out.

Off the line, he steered clear of the usual Turn 1 banter, unlike Lando Norris who fell all the way back into Piastri’s path.

As the field completed the first lap, the McLaren duo were running in P7 and P8.

Piastri lost touch with his teammate early on, and from then on, it was a lonely 19 laps for the #81.

Despite not making up any place on merit, Piastri inherited a position due to Fernando Alonso’s punctured-induced retirement, seeing him finishing in P7.

As a result, Piastri adds two points to make a personal season total of 34 points thus far.

“I think the points are a much better reflection of… well, make us look a lot better than we were,” Piastri said.

“I really struggled a lot in the first half.

“The second half, when everyone else’s [tyres degraded] a bit more, I seemed a little bit stronger… relative, but still not very strong.

“Some thinking to do for what we do for the race.”

As for the back-running Australian, it was a much more positive experience with Daniel Ricciardo driving a strong race in his VCARB 01.

Ricciardo started the 19-lap sprint race from P14, making gains off the line as he moved up into P13. 

From there, there was a long battle with Valtteri Bottas which saw the pairing trading P12 and P13 among themselves before Ricciardo settled into the lead.

Just as Piastri and the rest of the grid had done, Ricciardo inherited one place from Alonso’s misfortune, seeing him chasing Kevin Magnussen down for the final place in the top ten.

That was a tentative battle to the line, with Ricciardo running well within Magnussen’s DRS range for the closing few laps.

Although the margin dropped under two-tenths at some points across the 5.451km Shanghai International Circuit, it wasn’t quite enough come the chequered flag.

The RB driver crossed the line just over four-tenths being Magnussen, claiming P11 which was a far more positive result compared to his teammate who finished back in P16.

“It was definitely a more attacking race where I felt like the cars were battling and I had a bit more speed than them,” Ricciardo said.

“Mid-race, it was a bit more tricky in the DRS train, but then once we cleared Valtteri [Bottas] I was able to catch Kevin [Magnussen] quite quickly.

“But then I went a little deep into [Turn] 14 and had to avoid him a little bit!

“That was just a mistake from me. It kind of set me back for a couple of laps and then I got back to him and we had a good battle.

“It’s obviously not for points so, just a little bit of learning and a bit of fun today, but obviously some learning for tomorrow.

“Overall, a positive weekend so far.

“14th in quali and then 11th in the race doesn’t look awesome on paper, but I think personally I’ve had a better feeling.

“We’ll see what happens in quali now, I think everyone will probably change the car a bit.

“The track changed quite a lot after the rain and the wind, it’s a lot different today so, yeah.”

Both drivers are set for a redo tomorrow, with Qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix taking place at 5:00 PM, AEST.

2024 Chinese Grand Prix

Friday, April 19

Practice 1: 13:30-14:30

Sprint Qualifying: 17:30-18:14

Saturday, April 20

Sprint: 13:00-14:00

Qualifying: 17:00-18:00

Sunday, April 21

Grand Prix: 17:00

Don’t forget the latest issue of the free digital version of Auto Action is out now!

Or subscribe to the print edition here or at selected outlets. For more of the latest motorsport news, subscribe to AUTO ACTION magazine.

Podcast: We’re going to Taupo… Tow Paw… Whatever. Supercars is back!

After a break that feels like months, the Supercars Championship is back and headed across the ditch to Taupo in the middle of the North Island. And yes, Brodie Kostecki will be there! As will the rain.

Somehow, the rain will also be in China for F1’s return to 中国. Philip Island was stunning on the weekend, just gone, if a little cold, but we chatted about whether Supercars should return to the land of penguins.

Plus, there’s more… all the news in the way only the Auto Action RevLimiter can deliver.

Listen to our latest episode on your podcast app of choice or here