Verstappen Battles to Victory in 2024 Chinese Sprint

Max Verstappen fought his way to victory in the 2024 Chinese Sprint to extend his title lead.

Verstappen benefitted from an opening corner clash between Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton to climb from fourth to third at the start, before he cleared Fernando Alonso for second on Lap 7 then Hamilton two laps later for his eighth sprint win.

Sergio Perez benefitted from Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso colliding on Lap 16 to take third ahead of Charles Leclerc, after Sainz dropped to fifth and Alonso retired with a puncture.

Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri and George Russell rounded out the top eight finishers who all picked up points, which is only handed out to the top eight in sprint races.

In the drivers’ standings, Verstappen extended his title lead over Perez to 15 points as the Mexican extended his gap to third-placed Leclerc slightly to six points.

At lights out, pole-sitter Norris got forced wide by Hamilton into Turn 1 and lost five positions before he got passed by Leclerc into Turn 9 to lose sixth position, whilst his teammate – Oscar Piastri stayed eighth ahead of Guanyu Zhou who passed Valtteri Bottas for ninth.

Kevin Magnussen meanwhile got a strong start as he jumped Bottas and Russell for 10th position in the opening corners.

Up front, Hamilton fought off Alonso whilst Verstappen survived a scrap against Sainz before he cleared Alonso for second into Turn 14 on Lap 7.

Hamilton hadn’t won a race since 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix but his hopes of a first victory in 50 race weekends took a blow on Lap 8, as he locked up into the hairpin at Turn 14 which allowed Verstappen to close in and pass him into that corner a lap later for the lead.

Verstappen sprinted away to his eighth sprint victory ahead of Hamilton whilst Alonso headed a four-car scrap for third, as the two-time champion forced Sainz to make a sweeping move into Turn 7 on Lap 16 for third.

The Spanish pair however touched at the following corner which caused Alonso to suffer a race-ending puncture as Perez snuck through into third amidst the chaos, ahead of Sainz and Leclerc as Norris and Piastri held position.

Leclerc took advantage of damage to Sainz’s car to eventually pass his Ferrari teammate for fourth a lap later.

Russell – the only driver to start on soft tyre – battled his way past Bottas, Magnussen and Zhou to claim the final point in eighth position.