Verstappen reigns supreme in thrilling Shanghai Sprint
The Sprint Race at the Chinese Grand Prix reminded Formula 1 fans just what they’d been missing over the last five years, with Max Verstappen hailing victorious in a thrilling 19-lap battle to the line in Shanghai.
Off the line, Lewis Hamilton was the standout starter in the battle for the early lead.
The seven-time world champion ran side-by-side with Lando Norris through the infinite Turn 1, with the duo’s fast-paced tussle ending with the McLaren driver forced wide.
As for the rest of the field, it was a predominantly clean start, with only the Sauber drivers making contact at the first turn.
This resulted in Valtteri Bottas losing his front wing endplate and competitive edge, whilst hero Zhou Guanyu remained free of damage.
As the field crossed the line to start the second lap, it was Hamilton in the lead, with Norris six positions back.
Fernando Alonso, having started from third on the grid, found himself running safely in P2 as the fight for the final podium place was heating up.
Max Verstappen came under threat from the flying Ferrari of Carlos Sainz behind, with the situation made worse as the Dutchman reported that his battery was “flat”.
By Lap 5, the RB20’s issues were seemingly fixed, with the interval between the potential 2025 teammates growing to 1.4 seconds.
Sainz’s teammate was involved in a fight of his own, with the #4 McLaren now running just five-tenths behind Leclerc.
Norris had earlier attempted a move on the Ferrari, however, by Lap 6 of 19, the DRS train stemming from Sergio Perez halted his movement up the order.
Lewis Hamilton leads Lando Norris and the rest of the grid at the start of the Sprint. Image: Zak Mauger / LAT Images.
From that moment on, Norris’ tyres were seemingly wasted, and he posed no completive threat to the battle that unfolded ahead.
Further back, George Russell’s start on the soft tyre wasn’t quite paying off, with the #63 only making one place up off the line.
Just a few laps later, however, the Mercedes pit wall gave Russell the green light to push, seeing him clawing closer to the points finishing positions.
At the head of the field, his teammate was beginning to struggle, with Hamilton jumping on the radio to say that his car wasn’t responding in the slow-speed corners.
This was made evident as Hamilton locked up and ran wide, allowing Verstappen, who had breezed past Alonso just a few laps earlier, to get within striking distance.
Just beyond the halfway mark, the Dutchman disposed of his 2021 rival, charging off into the clear air and creating an immediate interval from the Mercedes.
Attention soon switched to his Red Bull teammate who was also targeting a move to dispose of the car ahead, running behind Sainz in a DRS train led by Alonso.
For much of the race, the Mexican was following Sainz, however, from Lap 14 and onwards the attack had reached its peak.
Perez was looking for any lapse in concentration from the Ferrari ahead after being unable to find a gap on his own.
The #11 was gifted the perfect opportunity to gain not one, but two places when the Spanish compatriots found themselves engaged in a heated battle.
Sainz had finally closed the gap to Alonso, attempting an overtake for the final podium position at Turn 9 which resulted in race-ending contact for the Aston Martin driver.
Alonso was forced to retire after sustaining a puncture in the battle, while Sainz’s SF-24 continued to spray carbon fibre for the remaining laps.
Both Sainz and Alonso booked themselves a meeting with the stewards post-race.
Fernando Alonso during the Sprint at the Chinese GP. Image: Andy Hone / LAT Images.
Whilst those two were occupied, Perez slipped down the inside to claim P3.
Leclerc also tried to capitalise on his teammate’s wounds, however, Sainz wasn’t going down without a fight.
The Ferrari duo rounded the hairpin, with Sainz running wide into contact with the #16, leaving both drivers unhappy in their respective cockpits.
Leclerc was able to eventually pass his teammate, sending Sainz back into Lando Norris’ reach.
With just two laps remaining, it wasn’t enough for the Sprint pole-man to pass his former teammate, leaving the order of that battle as Perez, Leclerc, Sainz and Norris.
Out front, it was Max Verstappen who claimed the winning 8 points ahead of Lewis Hamilton, taking the first Sprint victory of the season by 13 seconds.
Oscar Piastri failed to move up the order on his own merit across the entire race, only moving into P7 as a result of Alonso’s retirement.
Meanwhile, the second-running Australian had a busier and more positive Sprint in Shanghai.
Daniel Ricciardo started from P14, crossing the line in P11 after battling hard with Bottas and Magnussen.
He wasn’t able to crack the top ten, crossing the line under a second behind the #20 Haas.
With Qualifying to set the grid for the Chinese Grand Prix coming up in just a few hours, the drivers will completely reset in terms of order and mindset, with pole position now anyone’s for the taking.
Sprint Results:
2024 Chinese Grand Prix
Friday, April 19
Practice 1: 13:30-14:30
Sprint Qualifying: 17:30-18:14
Saturday, April 20
Sprint: 13:00-14:00
Qualifying: 17:00-18:00
Sunday, April 21
Grand Prix: 17:00
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