Arriving at the 1000th Formula 1 Grand Prix in China, Mercedes proved to be the team to beat. On Saturday, the Silver Arrows achieved their second front-row lockout of the season. Bottas managed to take pole, edging his teammate by just 0.023s, with the Ferraris of Vettel and Leclerc around three tenths adrift. At the start of the race, Hamilton managed to overtake Bottas. He went on to lead every lap and won the race in a convincing fashion. Bottas finished in second place and helped Mercedes secure a third consecutive 1–2. The result gave Mercedes a perfect start to the season. The last team to score three one-two finishes at the start of a season was Williams in 1992.