Max Verstappen described his weekend at the Chinese Grand Prix as “amazing” after clinching a victory in Sunday’s race.

It was from pole position that the Dutchman launched into the 56-lap showdown, swiftly establishing a lead that would see him mostly unchallenged, even amidst the unfolding drama behind him.

The race wasn’t without its hurdles, notably when Valtteri Bottas’ mechanical mishap off-track triggered a Safety Car intervention midway through.

This was soon followed by further incidents down the field, prompting the Safety Car’s re-deployment.

Through it all, Verstappen secured his inaugural win at the Shanghai International Circuit with a mix of elation and relief.

Reflecting on his triumph, the world champion said, “It felt amazing. All weekend we were incredibly quick. It was just enjoyable to drive every single (tyre) compound as well.”

He noted the car's exceptional performance, adding, “Restarts, I think we survived that well. The car was basically on rails, I could do whatever I wanted to with it, and those kinds of weekends are of course amazing to feel and of course, then, to achieve what we did this weekend is fantastic.”

A scare did emerge in the race's final moments as Verstappen’s Red Bull ran over some debris - presumably a piece from Zhou Guanyu’s Kick Sauber, which had clipped Kevin Magnussen’s Haas.

This raised concerns about a potential puncture. Verstappen candidly shared his thoughts: “I mean you always hear noises a little bit. Of course, I’ve had it in the past that I’ve retired quite close to the end.”

“There was a bit of debris I think from a car. You know when the tyres are getting cold and old it’s very easy to puncture them, and I just wanted to double check.”

Now sitting comfortably at the top of the drivers’ championship, Verstappen is already looking ahead to the next challenge, Miami, slated for May 3-5.