Yuki Tsunoda, Racing Bulls (P16) 8/10
The bad luck continues for Tsunoda. At least he managed to bring home a handful of points in the Sprint race though, crossing the finish line in a mighty sixth position. His SQ3 and Q3 appearances are hardly a surprise these days; it’s almost a given that he will qualify well. The Grand Prix was going decently well for the Japanese driver, as an early stop for hard tyres allowed him to undercut the Mercedes of Antonelli in the points-scoring positions. But Racing Bulls botched their pit strategy yet again, bringing Tsunoda in for a second pitstop when almost everyone else stayed out. Tsunoda was unable to climb himself back into the top ten, and a self-disintegrating front wing meant he was forced into the pits for a third time and he finished last of the runners.
Nico Hulkenberg, Kick Sauber (P15) 3/10
Hulkenberg was once again outqualified by Bortoleto for the Sprint race, but then got the better of his rookie teammate in the main Qualifying session by placing his Kick Sauber on the sixth row of the grid. Unlike his blistering start in Melbourne however, Hulkenberg had a poor getaway at the Chinese Grand Prix and fell down the order. His Kick Sauber car had no pace whatsoever, and he ultimately finished a lap down on the frontrunners.
