Max Verstappen, racing for Red Bull, continued his formidable start to the 2024 Formula One season by securing a commanding victory at the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday.
His triumph in Shanghai marks his fourth win in the first five races of the year, consolidating his lead in the drivers’ championship.
Starting from pole position, Verstappen also took top honors in Saturday’s sprint race, setting the stage for his dominant performance in the main event. Despite facing the challenge of two Safety Car interventions, which could have disrupted his rhythm, Verstappen handled the restarts flawlessly and maintained control throughout the race.
The track saw its fair share of drama, particularly during the restarts where several collisions reshuffled the pack. Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda, both driving for AlphaTauri, were caught in the melee. Ricciardo suffered considerable damage due to a clash with Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin, while Tsunoda was compelled to retire following an encounter with Kevin Magnussen’s Haas.
While the middle of the field dealt with chaos, Verstappen was untroubled at the front. “The car was on rails, and I could do whatever I wanted with it,” Verstappen reflected after his victory. “To achieve what we did this weekend feels fantastic.”
Lando Norris of McLaren put in a remarkable performance to finish second, his best result of the season, benefitting from strategic pitting during a Virtual Safety Car period triggered by Valtteri Bottas’ Sauber encountering issues. Norris managed to overtake Sergio Perez of Red Bull in the pits, who ultimately finished third.
Charles Leclerc of Ferrari leveraged a similar strategy to Norris, pitting during the Virtual Safety Car, which propelled him to fourth by the race’s end, ahead of his teammate Carlos Sainz in fifth. George Russell led Mercedes with a sixth-place finish.
Fernando Alonso, who started third, couldn’t sustain his position, finishing seventh after struggling with tire wear and opting for an extra pit stop. However, he secured the fastest lap of the race, gaining an additional championship point.
Further back, Lewis Hamilton experienced a challenging day, critical of his tire performance and managing only a ninth-place finish. Meanwhile, Nico Hulkenberg of Haas rounded out the top ten.
Local hero Zhou Guanyu, despite finishing 14th, received enthusiastic support from the home crowd, marking a historic moment as the first Chinese driver in the Chinese Grand Prix.
Verstappen’s victory extends his lead in the Driver’s Championship to 110 points, with teammate Perez trailing at 85, and Leclerc holding 76. In the Constructors’ standings, Red Bull solidifies its lead with 195 points, followed by Ferrari at 151, and McLaren improving to 96 points.
The Formula One circuit moves next to the United States for the Miami Grand Prix on May 5, where Verstappen will aim to continue his dominant start to the season.
