Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton grabbed the lead at the start, when pole-winner Lando Norris (McLaren) was slow away from the startline. After battling with Hamilton through Turn 1, Norris slid wide and off the track, tumbling a further five places.
Promoted to third, Verstappen bided his time early on and then cruised past Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) and Hamilton to notch yet another F1 victory.
F1 Chinese GP sprint results
2024 F1 Chinese GP sprint race report
Poleman Norris briefly led the charge to the opening corner, but he couldn’t stop the fast-starting Hamilton from grabbing the lead. Norris ran wide trying to counter, which allowed Alonso, Verstappen, Carlos Sainz (Ferrari), Sergio Perez (Red Bull) and Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) to also get ahead of him.
Hamilton led the opening lap from Alonso, Verstappen, Sainz, Perez, Leclerc, Norris – who lost six places in total – and Piastri.
Hamilton pulled clear of Alonso’s DRS range by lap four, with Verstappen complaining of a flat battery early on in third. Sainz pressured him in the early stages before dropping back towards Perez.
Verstappen DRS-ed past Alonso for second position on lap seven and immediately chased after Hamilton.
Hamilton locked up into the hairpin on the following tour, which allowed Verstappen to quickly close in. He passed him a lap later at the same spot.
Verstappen romped away to a dominant victory, while Perez toiled to pass Sainz. Leclerc then attacked Perez time and again into the hairpin.
Sainz barged his way past Alonso but his fellow Spaniard retaliated, gifting Perez third. The Ferraris touched at the hairpin before Leclerc passed Sainz at Turn 2, after Alonso was forced to pit with a puncture – and was eventually forced to retire due to damage.
Hamilton fell over 13s behind Verstappen, but kept ahead of Perez to cross the line in second.
Leclerc finished fourth but was audibly angry with Sainz, while Norris chased Sainz home for sixth, ahead of Piastri and George Russell (Mercedes), who started on softs.
F1 Chinese GP sprint fastest laps
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