An enraged Max is a formidable Max!! Indeed, the Red Bull star who surpassed Hamilton for the lead on lap 9/19, proceeded to establish a 13-second advantage in just ten laps!!
It proved to be a disappointing day for McLaren and Lando Norris, who relinquished the lead following a first lap skirmish with Lewis Hamilton. The McLaren driver veered off track and plummeted to seventh place. Unfortunately, he was unable to recover from this setback.
Hamilton has his sights set on a Sprint victory as he assumed the lead and successfully kept Fernando Alonso at bay. However, Verstappen was making his way through the pack effortlessly.
At the halfway point, Verstappen seized the lead from his former title rival, who had to settle for second place. Verstappen then pulled away from the competition, while Alonso encountered difficulties and lost ground in a battle with Carlos Sainz. Alonso suffered a puncture and was forced to retire from the Sprint.
Sergio Perez capitalized on the skirmishes unfolding ahead of him. As Alonso and Sainz were preoccupied with their tussle, Perez overtook both drivers to claim third place.
The initial podium finishers of the #F1Sprint season are here 👀 #F1 #ChineseGP pic.twitter.com/Fts0blJb22
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 20, 2024
Report in progress…
Unlike the rainy conditions that characterized the Sprint Qualifying, the Sprint Race took place under dry weather. The track temperature reached 27 degrees Celsius, while the air temperature stood at 20 degrees.
The majority of drivers opted for the Medium tires (some utilized them), with the exception of Russell, who took a gamble on the Softs in the hopes of gaining positions at the start.
Norris and Hamilton, starting on the front row, had brand new sets of Medium tires fitted to their cars.
A fierce start saw Hamilton launch an attack on Norris, who subsequently ran wide and dropped to seventh place. Meanwhile, Alonso surged to second place, with Verstappen trailing closely in third.
LAP 1/19
Hamilton and Norris engage in a duel around Turn 1 & 2 before Norris runs wide and falls to P6 #F1Sprint #ChineseGP pic.twitter.com/BoAShdcHYh
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 20, 2024
In the tabloid format, the action on the track unfolded rapidly. Sainz wasted no time in launching an attack, determined to challenge Verstappen for third place. Meanwhile, Leclerc was hot on the heels of Perez, with the McLarens also in pursuit.
Russell, starting on the Softs, had hoped to make some gains, but instead found himself dropping down to 12th position. Zhou managed to move up one spot to ninth, while Magnussen slipped into tenth place and Bottas fell to 11th.
By lap 3 out of 19, Sainz showed no signs of giving up, applying relentless pressure on Verstappen, who trailed the top two by just over a second. Alonso, within the DRS range of Hamilton, was also in the mix.
Verstappen, perplexed by his flat battery, contacted his engineer for advice. He was instructed to switch to “mode 8.” The change seemed to have a magical effect, as Verstappen quickly became the fastest driver on the track. He closed the gap to Alonso and Hamilton, pulling away from Sainz in the process.
On lap 4, Russell made impressive progress, overtaking Magnussen and breaking into the top ten. Despite the wear on his Soft tyres, he managed to hold on for now.
Sainz faced mounting pressure on lap 5, as Perez closed in from behind in fifth place. Leclerc, not far behind, was within the DRS range of the Mexican driver.
By lap 7, Verstappen was just 0.587s behind Alonso, setting the stage for a fierce battle for second place. The three-time F1 Champion was determined to make up for his disappointing qualifying performance.
In a thrilling moment captured on video, Verstappen executed a daring pass on Alonso at Turn 14, propelling himself up to second place. He now had his sights set on Hamilton, who was struggling with his car’s handling in slow-speed corners.
Behind the top three, a train of cars formed, with Sainz leading the way, followed by Perez, Leclerc, Norris, Piastri, Zhou, and Russell.
On lap 9, Hamilton made a mistake, locking up his brakes. Verstappen seized the opportunity and closed in to less than half a second behind the reigning champion. The scent of victory filled the air.
Despite receiving information from his engineers, Hamilton brushed them off, determined to handle the situation on his own. However, there was little he could do as Verstappen breezed past him by the end of the lap, taking the lead.
Verstappen’s unstoppable drive was a sight to behold, leaving his rivals in awe. He now sat comfortably in first place, ready to dominate the race.
In the 10th of 19 laps, the current order is as follows: Verstappen is leading, followed by Hamilton, Alonso, Sainz, Perez, Leclerc, Norris, Piastri, Zhou, and Russell. Verstappen quickly establishes a significant lead over Hamilton, distancing himself from any potential threat from the DRS system. He is over two seconds ahead of the seven-time F1 Champion. Meanwhile, Alonso is forced to defend his position against his fellow countryman Sainz, who is within DRS range and aggressively pursuing third place.
By the 12th lap, Sainz experiences a lock-up and now has to keep an eye on his mirrors for Perez, while Alonso gains a slight breathing space. The battle between Perez and Sainz intensifies on the 13th lap, with both drivers benefiting from the DRS advantage. However, the Red Bull driver demonstrates superior pace. On the 14th lap, Leclerc reports a power issue, mentioning “derating.” Nevertheless, he manages to close the gap to Perez, and Norris also enters the DRS range of the Ferrari #16.
Alonso impressively defends his position against Sainz and the pursuing pack on the 15th lap. Perez, on the other hand, complains about a lack of traction while being part of the DRS train. On the 16th lap, Sainz resumes his pursuit of Alonso, while Perez fights hard to hold off Leclerc.
After a remarkable defense from Alonso, Perez seizes the opportunity and overtakes both drivers, moving up to third place. Sainz also manages to pass Alonso, who is subsequently overtaken by Leclerc. Unfortunately, Alonso’s race comes to an end as he pits due to a puncture resulting from contact with Sainz.
By the 17th lap, the order is as follows: Verstappen, Hamilton, Perez, Leclerc, Sainz, Norris, Piastri, and Russell. On the 18th lap, the two Ferrari drivers engage in a heated battle, with Leclerc expressing his dissatisfaction with his teammate’s actions at the hairpin.
In the end, Verstappen crosses the finish line 13 seconds ahead of Hamilton in second place, with Perez securing third place.