Chinese GP Sprint: Max Verstappen beats Lewis Hamilton to win as Fernando Alonso retires from dramatic contest
Max Verstappen chased down and passed Lewis Hamilton to claim victory in the opening Sprint of the 2024 Formula 1 season at the Chinese Grand Prix.
Hamilton passed pole-sitter Lando Norris to take the lead at the first corner but was powerless to resist the pace of Verstappen, who came from fourth on the grid to ease into the lead before the halfway stage of the 19-lap contest, and then comfortably pulled clear.
Verstappen's Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez took third after coming out on top of a dramatic four-car battle, which saw Fernando Alonso retire after making contact with the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz.
While Sainz was able to finish, the Spaniard dropped down to fifth after being overtaken by team-mate Charles Leclerc in the closing stages.
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Having run off track when trying to hold off Hamilton on the opening lap, Norris was left to settle for sixth ahead of McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri.
Hamilton's Mercedes team-mate George Russell, the only driver to use soft rather than medium tyres, drove a strong race to come from 11th on the grid to take the final point in eighth.
The victory extends Verstappen's world championship lead to 15 points over Perez as the Dutchman seeks a fourth consecutive drivers' title. Red Bull's advantage over Ferrari at the top of the constructors' standings grows to 26 points.
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While Verstappen's searing pace establishes him as the clear favourite for Sunday's full-distance race, the fact that teams are able to change their car setups under 2024's new Sprint format leaves room for the likes of Perez and the Ferraris to reduce their pace deficit ahead of qualifying, live on Sky Sports F1 at 8am on Saturday.
More to follow...
1) Max Verstappen, Red Bull2) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes3) Sergio Perez, Red Bull4) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari5) Carlos Sainz, Ferrari6) Lando Norris, McLaren7) Oscar Piastri, McLaren8) George Russell, Mercedes
Saturday April 207am: Chinese GP Qualifying build-up*8am: Chinese GP Qualifying*10am: Ted's Qualifying Notebook*
Sunday April 217am: Grand Prix Sunday: Chinese GP build-up*8am: The CHINESE GRAND PRIX*10am: Chequered Flag: Chinese GP reaction*11am: Ted's Notebook*
*also live on Sky Sports Main Event
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3 of May 2024
