Below are the full results of the sprint race held at the Shanghai International Circuit ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix.
A thrilling sprint race took place at the Shanghai International Circuit ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix, with Red Bull's Max Verstappen taking victory.
Max Verstappen rises to the top in Chinese GP sprint
When the lights went out for the start of the sprint, Lewis Hamilton reacted slightly faster than pole sitter Lando Norris, putting his Mercedes alongside the McLaren as it entered Turn 1.
Norris went wide out of the corner and dropped to seventh, but Hamilton maintained his lead over Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.
Holding his position throughout the first half of the race, Verstappen spent more time worrying about attacks from Ferrari's Carlos Sainz than chasing Alonso, complaining of a dead battery and taking time to understand his car. It looked like it was.
But in the end, Verstappen caught on to Alonso and passed the Spaniard on the back straight. Currently chasing Hamilton in second place, the seven-time F1 world champion made a small mistake at the hairpin, allowing Verstappen to follow him.
One lap later, Verstappen overtook Hamilton and began to stretch his legs at the front, coming back with a 13-second lead over his former title rival.
A thrilling battle for the final podium spot unfolded as Alonso tried to hold off Sainz, Perez and Leclerc. However, during a wheel-to-wheel battle with Sainz, Alonso suffered a puncture, forcing him to pit and eventually retire.
The two Ferraris fought fiercely for position as Perez surged forward to move into third place, with Leclerc taking the lead, but no one was happy after Sainz felt he had pushed him wide at the hairpin. There wasn't.
Pole-sitter Norris enjoyed a clear pace advantage over McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri, with the Australian finishing seventh and finishing sixth.
Mercedes' George Russell, who raced on soft tyres, took the final points, while home hero Chou Guanyu finished ninth, the highest for a non-scoring rider.
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2024 Chinese GP Sprint Results (Shanghai)
- 1. Max Verstappen Red Bull 19 laps
- 2. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +13.043
- 3. Sergio Perez Red Bull +15.258
- 4. Charles Leclerc Ferrari +17.486
- 5. Carlos Sainz Ferrari +20.696
- 6. Lando Norris McLaren +22.088
- 7. Oscar Piastri McLaren +24.713
- 8. George Russell Mercedes +25.696
- 9. Zhou Guanyu Sauber +31.951
- 10. Kevin Magnussen Haas +37.398
- 11. Daniel Ricardo RB+37.840
- 12. Valtteri Bottas Sauber +38.295
- 13. Lance Stroll Aston Martin +39.841
- 14. Esteban Ocon Alpine +40.299
- 15. Pierre Gasly Alpine +40.838
- 16. Hiroki Tsunoda RB+41.870
- 17. Alex Albon Williams +42.998
- 18. Sergeant Logan Williams +46.352
- 19. Nico Hulkenberg Haas +49.630
- 20. Fernando Alonso Aston Martin DNF
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