Despite Dominant Win, Max Verstappen Fails to Break Michael Schumacher’s 20-Year-Old Chinese GP Record

Max Verstappen reigned supreme in the recently concluded Chinese GP as he claimed his fourth win of the season after five races. The Chinese GP race weekend was near perfect for him as he not only won the sprint race but also took pole position during the traditional qualifying session and the Grand Prix victory. Despite such supremacy, Verstappen was nowhere near to match Michael Schumacher’s 20-year-old record as it still stands intact.

Schumacher, back at the 2004 Chinese GP, set a time during lap 55 that still stands as the fastest lap (1:32.238) completed at the Shanghai International Circuit. This was a staggering feat, given the lap was not recorded during qualifying, but during the main race.

Furthermore, the fact that the seven-time world champion managed to pull off such a time, that too in the inaugural race at this venue 20 years ago, speaks volumes. The Shanghai track has historically not been an easy track to race on as the twists, turns, hairpins and slow-speed corners make it difficult for drivers to navigate through.

#OnThisDay in 2004 was held the first #F1 #ChineseGP. The race was won by Rubens Barrichello but I’ve pictured his Ferrari team-mate, Michael Schumacher, because of this #AnorakFact: 19 years later Schumi’s fastest lap that afternoon, 1min 32.238sec, is still the race lap record. pic.twitter.com/WyB0XWIZGn

— Matt Bishop ️‍ (@TheBishF1) September 26, 2023

In spite of the same, Schumacher, who finished the race in P12 that day, drove fearlessly and put his name on the record. Compared to him, Verstappen‘s lap times were more than a second off.

During qualifying on Saturday, the Dutchman managed to register a 1:33.660 [Q3], and this was his best-timed lap at the Chinese GP in 2024. As for the fastest lap in the race, it was Fernando Alonso who recorded it by registering a 1:37.810.

How dominant was Max Verstappen at the Chinese GP?

While Max Verstappen could not have the fastest lap around the Shanghai International Circuit or break Michael Schumacher’s long-standing record, he made sure he snatched everything else that was available. On Saturday, Verstappen defeated Lewis Hamilton by over 13 seconds to win the sprint race despite starting from P4.

What an amazing weekend here in China . The car felt like it was on rails @redbullracing! Thank you to all the fans, your support has been overwhelming! pic.twitter.com/1CD575xvXv

— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) April 21, 2024

On the same day, he clinched pole position by a whopping margin of over three-tenths from his Red Bull teammate, Sergio Perez. A day later, Verstappen cruised to victory after starting from pole by defeating Lando Norris by a margin of over 13 seconds. The 26-year-old managed to win the race despite navigating two safety car periods.