Max Verstappen wins for Red Bull

Verstappen beat McLaren’s Lando Norris and Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez in a race that was twice interrupted by the safety car.

2024 F1 Chinese Grand Prix results

2024 F1 Chinese Grand Prix report

Polesitter Verstappen led the charge to Turn 1 as Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso swept around the outside of Perez to take second place.

Perez held off Norris for third, with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri running an early fifth from George Russell (Mercedes), Nico Hulkenberg (Haas) and the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz – who came close to touching at Turn 1. Leclerc repassed Hulkenberg at the hairpin towards the end of the opening lap.

Verstappen immediately pulled a gap of over 2s as Perez stalked Alonso for second.

Further back, Sainz and Lance Stroll (Aston, who started on soft tyres unlike the majority on mediums) overtook Hulkenberg.

Perez lunged past Alonso to retake second at Turn 6 on lap five, restoring the expected Red Bull 1-2. Norris outbraked Alonso at the hairpin to take third, while Leclerc zoomed around the outside of Russell at Turn 1 for sixth on lap 9.

Two laps later, Leclerc passed Piastri for fifth at the hairpin, which became fourth as Alonso became the first of the frontrunners to pit for hard tyres on lap 12.

Verstappen and Perez pitted for hards, promoting Norris to a temporary lead over fellow long first-stint runner Leclerc.

Verstappen passed Leclerc for second on lap 16, while Perez lost time getting around Sainz. Verstappen retook the lead on lap 19, DRS-ing past Norris into the Turn 14 hairpin.

Valtteri Bottas’s Sauber expired at Turn 11 on lap 21, prompting a virtual safety car to recover it. Leclerc took the opportunity to make a cheap pitstop, but McLaren missed the chance to bring Norris in straight away and were fortunate that the Sauber appeared to stuck in gear, causing the marshals to toil.

That led to a full safety car, leading Verstappen to pit for fresh hards as his 20s lead was wiped out. Alonso, now down to sixth, pitted for fresh softs.

As the field bunched up before the restart, Stroll slammed into the back of Daniel Ricciardo’s RB at the hairpin, damaging its floor. Stroll was given a 10s penalty for his error, and Ricciardo was forced to retire a few laps later.

The race restarted on lap 27 in the order Verstappen, Norris, Leclerc, Perez (who also stopped for fresh hards), Sainz, Alonso, Russell and Piastri. Alonso DRS-ed past Sainz for fifth on the back straight.

Yuki Tsunoda’s RB was eliminated at Turn 6 after a clash with Kevin Magnussen’s Haas, and the safety car was required again. Magnussen was given a 10s penalty for causing the clash.

At the restart on lap 31, Verstappen sprinted clear of Norris as Perez attacked Leclerc. From 18^th on the grid, after a disastrous qualifying, Lewis Hamilton started on the soft tyre – which he hated – and battled his way up into the points by lap 32.

Perez claimed third from Leclerc at Turn 6 on lap 39, while Hamilton passed Hulkenberg with a superb move for ninth two laps later. Alonso pitted for a second time with a dozen laps remaining for fresh medium tyres, dropping to 12^th, so he had to charge his way back into the points in the closing stages.

Verstappen cruised to his fourth grand prix win of the year from Norris, Perez, Leclerc, Sainz and Russell. Alonso rose to seventh, claiming the extra point for fastest lap, passing Hamilton and Piastri on the same lap despite suffering a big slide at the final corner.

Piastri finished eighth, having also suffered damage in the Stroll/Ricciardo clash, ahead of Hamilton and Hulkenberg.

2024 F1 Chinese Grand Prix fastest laps