2024 Chinese Grand Prix race report and highlights: Max Verstappen charges to victory over Lando Norris and Sergio Perez in action-packed Chinese GP

That played into the hands of those yet to stop, with Leclerc immediately taking the opportunity to pit before Norris stopped next time around (Stroll and Hamilton also taking on fresh tyres under caution), only for the VSC to turn into a full Safety Car shortly afterwards – Bottas’ car seemingly stuck in gear.

A host of drivers opted to pit under the Safety Car as mid-race distance approached, with Verstappen, Perez, Alonso, Piastri and Russell the front-runners to do so, followed by Hulkenberg, Ocon, Tsunoda, Albon, Zhou (suffering a slow stop) and Gasly, meaning an already open strategic race reached another level.

The order after that rush of activity was Verstappen (two stops) from Norris (one), Leclerc (one), Perez (two) and Sainz (one), all on hards, ahead of Alonso (two) on softs, Russell (two) and Piastri (two) on hards, Ricciardo (one) on mediums and Stroll (two) on hards.

“We think everyone will try and get to the end on the hard tyre apart from Alonso,” was the message to Norris before the Safety Car peeled into the pits for the restart, which occurred at the end of lap 26 – Verstappen calmly leading the field away.

There was further drama a few moments later, though, as Tsunoda, who had earlier swapped places with team mate Ricciardo on opposing strategies, got tipped into a spin by Magnussen exiting Turn 6 – leaving the RB with terminal rear-right damage and sending the Haas limping back to the pits with a puncture.