Results & Report 2024 Chinese Formula 1 Sprint
Event: Chinese Grand Prix
Track: Shanghai International Circuit
Max Verstappen driving the Red Bull Racing RB20 leads Carlos Sainz driving the Ferrari SF-24 on track during the Sprint ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of China at Shanghai International Circuit on April 20, 2024 in Shanghai
Weather: 20.1°C, cloudy and dry
Tarmac: 27.7°C, dry
Humidity: 68.0%
Wind: 6.1 km/h South
Verstappen Charges to Victory in Chinese F1 Sprint
Max Verstappen claimed a commanding victory in the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix Sprint at the Shanghai International Circuit, recovering from fourth on the grid to finish more than 13 seconds ahead of Lewis Hamilton.
Hamilton led the opening stages after Lando Norris ran wide at the start, but Verstappen worked his way forward, passed Fernando Alonso and then overtook Hamilton to take control of the race.
Norris Starts from Pole
Norris started from pole position after a dramatic wet Sprint Shootout, with Hamilton alongside him on the front row. Alonso lined up third ahead of Verstappen, while Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez occupied the third row.
Charles Leclerc started seventh ahead of Oscar Piastri, with Zhou Guanyu and Valtteri Bottas completing the top 10.
Most drivers started the Sprint on medium tyres. George Russell, starting 11th, was the notable exception and opted for softs.
Hamilton Takes the Lead
Hamilton made the stronger start and attacked Norris around the outside through the opening complex.
Norris ran wide as they battled, dropping several positions and allowing Hamilton to take the lead. Alonso emerged second, with Verstappen initially running behind the Aston Martin.
Hamilton quickly opened a small advantage while Verstappen reported battery-related issues during the opening laps.
Verstappen Moves Forward
Once his early issues were resolved, Verstappen began closing rapidly on Alonso.
The Red Bull driver passed the Aston Martin at the end of Lap 7 and immediately set his sights on Hamilton.
One lap later Verstappen used DRS to attack the Mercedes and moved into the lead. From that point onward, the reigning World Champion was in control.
Hamilton Secures Second
Hamilton was unable to match Verstappen's pace after losing the lead but maintained a comfortable advantage over the battle behind.
The Mercedes driver crossed the line second, recording his best result of the 2024 season up to that point.
Perez completed the podium after taking advantage of an intense fight involving Alonso, Sainz and Leclerc.
Ferrari Teammates Battle Hard
Sainz and Leclerc were involved in a fierce battle during the closing stages as they fought over fourth place.
Leclerc eventually emerged ahead and finished fourth, with Sainz taking fifth.
The pair's close racing drew attention after the Sprint, particularly after Sainz defended aggressively while Leclerc attempted to move ahead.
Alonso Retires After Contact
Alonso's race unravelled during the battle for third place.
The Aston Martin driver made contact with Sainz while fighting for position, suffering a puncture that forced him into the pits and ultimately out of the Sprint.
The stewards later held Alonso responsible for causing the collision and handed him a 10-second time penalty together with three penalty points on his licence.
Because Alonso had already retired, the time penalty did not affect his final classification.
Norris Recovers to Sixth
Norris recovered from his difficult opening lap to finish sixth and collect three championship points.
Piastri followed his McLaren teammate home in seventh, while Russell used his alternative soft-tyre strategy to finish eighth and claim the final point.
Russell had started 11th and gained three positions over the 19-lap Sprint.
Verstappen Wins by More Than 13 Seconds
Verstappen continued to extend his advantage once in clean air and eventually crossed the line 13.043 seconds ahead of Hamilton.
The victory was his first Sprint win of the 2024 season and further extended his early lead in the Drivers' Championship.
Perez completed the podium in third, followed by Leclerc, Sainz, Norris, Piastri and Russell.
Attention Turns to Grand Prix Qualifying
The Sprint demonstrated Red Bull's strong race pace in dry conditions, while Mercedes showed encouraging performance with Hamilton in second.
Ferrari remained competitive but lost time through its intra-team battle, while McLaren was left to recover from Norris' difficult opening lap.
With qualifying for Sunday's Grand Prix scheduled for later on Saturday, the teams had only a short window to analyse the Sprint before returning to the track.
Classification 2024 Chinese F1 Sprint
Fastest lap: 1:40.331 min by Max Verstappen, Red Bull RB20 #1 on Lap 3 @ 195.588 km/h.
Quickest sector times:
- Sector 1: 26.617 sec by Lando Norris – McLaren MCL38
- Sector 2: 29.894 sec by Lewis Hamilton – Mercedes W15
- Sector 3: 43.072 sec by Fernando Alonso – Aston Martin AMR24
✅ Check out our 2024 Chinese Formula 1 Grand Prix preview.
One F1 fan comment on “Results & Report 2024 Chinese Formula 1 Sprint”
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A largely straightforward first 2024 sprint with some good battling, especially towards the end thanks to Alonso's pace drop towards the end, & also some further down the field, most of which didn't get shown on the world feed.
I was surprised about Hulk's sudden pace drop, though.
Either he had an issue, or his tyre wear was poor.