Red Bull’s Max Verstappen within the pits throughout sprint
| Photo Credit: REUTERS
Max Verstappen overcame early electrical gremlins to blast from fourth on the grid to an emphatic victory within the Chinese Grand Prix sprint race Saturday, 13 seconds forward of Lewis Hamilton.
The Dutchman charged past the seven-time world champion Hamilton’s Mercedes on lap 9 of the 19-lap sprint.
Red Bull workforce mate Sergio Perez was third after an exhilarating battle with the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, and the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso.
“The first few laps were hectic,” stated Verstappen after claiming the eight factors on supply for the winner of the primary sprint of the season on the Shanghai International Circuit.
“The wind is changing a lot which makes it difficult to drive.
“Once we sorted (the battery) out we have been OK,” Verstappen added as he extended his championship lead to 25 points over Perez.
Leclerc and Sainz ended up fourth and fifth after swapping places numerous times in the dramatic tussle for the minor places with Perez and Alonso.
Aston Martin’s Alonso came out worst as he went wheel-to-wheel with the Ferraris, having to retire his car on lap 18 with a puncture suffered in the skirmish.
Lando Norris started from pole but could only cross the line sixth in his McLaren, ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri with George Russell eighth to round out the sprint points scorers.
Costly for Norris
Hamilton started from second on the grid but got away quickest, holding the inside line on the long first two corners to emerge in front after Norris ran wide.
It was costly for the McLaren man who then found himself seventh after the first lap.
Alonso inherited second place and Verstappen third, despite the championship leader complaining of a flat battery.
By the fifth lap Hamilton had opened up a 1.3 second gap and crucially was out of range for Alonso to attack with his DRS.
Verstappen solved his electrical issue by lap seven and reeled in Alonso on the long back straight.
Two laps later he had the measure of Hamilton and nipped past on the final hairpin.
With a clear track in front, Verstappen cruised off into the distance, increasing the gap by almost a second a lap on the Mercedes as Hamilton settled for second.
“That’s the very best end result I’ve had in a very long time, so I’m tremendous blissful and grateful,” said an ecstatic Hamilton, who picked up seven points having scored only 10 the four previous races this season.
“We could not struggle the Red Bulls, the race was powerful however I came upon so much in regards to the automobile by this quick stint so I’m excited for the race tomorrow.”
It was the primary of six sprints on the bumper 24-race Formula One calendar in 2024, and the primary the place the brand new weekend format was used.
It means grand prix qualifying stays in its standard Saturday afternoon slot the place the vehicles will put together for Sunday’s essential occasion.
The modifications have been welcomed by drivers and groups who can now modify their automobile set-ups after the sprint race for GP qualifying, which wasn’t allowed beforehand.
On the primary Chinese Grand Prix weekend since 2019, enormous crowds turned out to see Shanghai native Zhou Guanyu, China’s first Formula One driver, make his house debut in his third season within the premier racing class.
Tickets for Sunday’s essential race bought out in minutes and followers had lots to cheer Friday when Zhou propelled his Sauber into the highest 10 in a moist sprint qualifying session.
He began from 10th and in dry circumstances for the race and moved up one place after the opening skirmishes.
Zhou agonisingly completed simply out of the factors in ninth after being handed late on by Russell, who began down in 11th on the grid however made essentially the most of beginning on faster delicate tyres.