2024 F1 Round 5 Chinese GP Sprint: Verstappen wins from fourth after passing Hamilton on lap 9, Zhou ninth outside the points

The 19-lap Sprint at the 2024 Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix concluded at the Shanghai International Circuit on the morning of 20 April, Beijing time. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen recovered from fourth on the grid, passing Lewis Hamilton for the lead on lap 9 before pulling clear to win by 13 seconds and collect eight points. Hamilton finished second, with Sergio Pérez third.

Pole-sitter Lando Norris ran side by side with Hamilton through Turn 2 on the opening lap. He held on around the outside for some time before running off the track and dropping down the order, eventually finishing sixth. Verstappen said afterwards that the opening laps had been busy: the changing wind direction made driving difficult, while a battery problem affected only the first few laps. Once that issue was resolved, everything returned to normal.

Fernando Alonso remained in the battle for the top three throughout his race. Carlos Sainz attacked him fiercely on lap 16, with the pair exchanging positions several times over the course of the lap. During the fight, Alonso suffered a front-right puncture and retired on lap 18. Pérez, running behind them, took advantage to pass both cars in one move and take third. After the Sprint, the stewards summoned Sainz and Alonso, judged Alonso responsible for the collision and gave him a 10-second time penalty and three penalty points.

Charles Leclerc was forced wide at the hairpin while battling team-mate Sainz and expressed his displeasure over the radio, but completed the overtake on the following lap to finish fourth, with Sainz fifth. George Russell was the only driver to start on soft tyres, from 11th on the grid, while everyone else chose mediums. He benefited from Alonso’s retirement to finish eighth and take the final point. Oscar Piastri was seventh.

Zhou Guanyu finished ninth, narrowly missing the points. However, his composed performances in qualifying and the Sprint suggested that scoring in his home Grand Prix on Sunday was within reach if he could have a clean race. Alpine’s Esteban Ocon was the first to use the lighter monocoque and new floor, gaining four positions to finish 13th, the biggest improvement in the field. Yuki Tsunoda gained three places to finish 16th, while Nico Hülkenberg dropped six places to finish last among the finishers.