2018 F1 Round 3 Chinese GP — Ricciardo charges to victory, Bottas and Räikkönen on podium

The Chinese Grand Prix took place over 56 laps at the Shanghai International Circuit on 15 April 2018. Sebastian Vettel started from pole and held the early lead, but the mid-race Safety Car changed the cost of a pit stop. Red Bull seized the opportunity to put Daniel Ricciardo on fresh soft tyres, transforming the course of the race.

Ricciardo won in 1:35:36.380, with Valtteri Bottas second, 8.894 seconds behind, and Kimi Räikkönen a further 0.743 seconds back in third. Red Bull gained a fresh-tyre advantage by pitting during the Safety Car period. Ricciardo then passed the cars ahead in succession to turn sixth on the grid into victory.

A midfield accident triggered the Safety Car, and Red Bull quickly called both drivers in for new tyres. After the restart, Max Verstappen and Ricciardo both went on the attack. Ricciardo passed Lewis Hamilton, Vettel and Bottas in that order, while Verstappen also moved towards the front. The strategy produced different outcomes for the two Red Bulls.

Verstappen and Vettel collided while fighting for position, costing both drivers time. Damage to Vettel’s car left him eighth. Verstappen received a ten-second penalty but still finished fifth. Red Bull’s pace and pit decisions were enough to fight for victory, though the on-track battles also carried a cost.

Bottas had led before the Safety Car and eventually finished second, with Räikkönen third to secure a podium for Ferrari. Hamilton started and finished fourth. Renault’s Nico Hülkenberg was sixth and Fernando Alonso seventh, with several teams sharing the top ten. Räikkönen delivered Ferrari’s podium finish.

Carlos Sainz in ninth and Kevin Magnussen in tenth took the remaining midfield points. The Force Indias were 11th and 12th, while McLaren’s Stoffel Vandoorne was 13th. Toro Rosso suffered heavily when its drivers collided. Pierre Gasly finished 18th and Brendon Hartley retired, leaving both cars outside the top ten. The incident also left the team without points.

There was no further Safety Car in the closing stages, allowing Ricciardo to build a stable advantage. Front-running strategies and the difference between fresh and used tyres determined the overtaking opportunities. The collision between Vettel and Verstappen also underlined the need to manage risk while chasing positions. Red Bull’s victory changed the competitive picture early in the season.

Ricciardo took his first win of the season, with Bottas second and Räikkönen third, while Vettel was only eighth after the collision. The table below follows Formula 1’s official final classification and lists the results and points for all 20 drivers. Hartley is marked as retired. Every other car completed 56 laps and is listed in order.