In one, Kevin Magnuessen clipped Yuki Tsunoda, and in the other, Lance Stroll ran into the back of Daniel Ricciardo.
Verstappen’s rule in F1 also extended to Saturday when he took the inaugural sprint race of the season.
This was the first F1 in China since 2019 when the Covid-19 pandemic and China’s clampdown wiped out four races. Shanghai-born Zhou Guanyu finished 14th for Sauber, perhaps his last chance to race at home as teams next season will shuffle their driver lineups.
The real competition in F1 for the rest of the season appears to be for the half-dozen places behind Verstappen and Perez. Mercedes’ George Russell called it “a fight” for places No. 3 through No. 8.
“Small differences can have a major impact,” Russell said.
The next GP is Miami on May 5 where it’s often a celebrity show. There was also a parade of celebrities in China with former basketball star Yao Ming and double Olympic champion skier Eileen Gu posing for photos in the paddock and on the track before the start of the race.