Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen provided proof that 2017-style F1 cars can still overtake as they played starring roles in an entertaining Chinese GP.
Pre-season fears that the sport's new faster cars would make it even harder for drivers to pass each other increased after the season-opening Australian GP when there were just five on-track passes all race.
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However, on the wider and more overtaking-friendly Shanghai circuit, passing moves proved more frequent - with Vettel and Verstappen supplying many of the most memorable overtakes on their ways to podium finishes behind Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton.
"There were probably 100 less overtakes than we saw last year, but the ones we did experience were much better to watch and much more memorable," said Sky F1's Martin Brundle.
"They had to get pretty feisty and brave on the brakes."
Vettel dropped from second to sixth after an early stop for slick tyres under the lap-two Virtual Safety Car backfired, but fought his way back to his grid position with overtakes at Turn Six on first Ferrari team-mate Kimi Raikkonen and then, on corner exit, Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo. He also passed Verstappen when the Dutchman locked up entering the hairpin.
"I had a very exciting race," said Vettel. "I got stuck in the train a little bit but then got clear and tried to chase down Lewis. Every time I put a lap in, Lewis responded. It was a good race."
Vettel's overtake on former team-mate Ricciardo included a brief wheel-banging moment and, asked by Sky F1 about the contact, Vettel said: "Not intentionally! So maybe need to get used to the wide cars. I had a worse exit because I was going around the outside, but I had the inside for the next corner, so that's why I went for it and it worked.
"It was good fun. I was afraid there might be some damage, but I think both of our cars were fine, it's just wheel-to-wheel racing which is what it should be."
Meanwhile, a Shanghai podium appearance for Verstappen had appeared wholly unlikely after engine problems in qualifying had left him 16th on the grid.
However, not for the first time in his short but stellar F1 career, the Dutchman made light of a challenging situation by blitzing his way back into the top five by the time the field had all switched to dry tyres.
"That was not bad, I think!" Verstappen told Sky F1 after claiming his first podium of the year.
"I really enjoyed the first lap when I passed nine cars. Then, from there onwards, some good moves to overtake.
"Then I was struggling a bit with the balance of the car because I didn't run a lot in qualifying and I don't think it was perfect in the race, particularly with the cold temperatures."
Unsurprisingly, Verstappen was voted by F1 fans as the Chinese GP Driver of the Day - the ninth time he has won the award since it was introduced last year.
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