Verstappen comesback to win the Chinese GP Sprint Race: Hamilton second, Leclerc fourth

Max Verstappen he won Shanghai Sprint Race. Starting fourth, the Dutch driver preceded Lewis Hamilton And Sergio Perez. Leclerc, with a lot of determination, claws for fourth place ahead of Sainz and Norris. Points also for Piastri and Russell.

Hamilton gets off to a great start, he’s a piece of cake, Norris no, they find themselves side by side at the first corner, they stay glued, no one gives up, then the Englishman from McLaren makes a mistake and ends up wide. Norris goes from first to seventh place in just a few seconds. Lewis leader, behind him is Alonso. Then Verstappen struggled to keep an attacking Sainz at bay, who twice tried to overtake him, but failed. Leclerc, on the other hand, is behind Perez. Russell tries to make a comeback with the red tire and overtakes first Bottas and then Magnussen.

The race stalled for a few laps, no one knows how much the tires can handle. Then Verstappen breaks the ice as he approaches Fernando Alonso and puts him in the crosshairs. The overtaking came on lap 7, and with a certain ease too. The Spaniard doesn’t even try to reply. Max goes chasing Hamilton and has the feeling, and something more, that it is only a matter of time before he can catch up and overtake the world champion. In a lap and a half Verstappen recovers and overtakes Hamilton, who tries to stay close, but doesn’t last long.

The world champion escapes quickly and gets his hands on the victory of the first Sprint Race of the 2024 World Championship. Behind him there is a brawl with Alonso behind him SainzPerez e Leclerc, all very close. On lap 16 there is pure spectacle. Sainz attacks Alonso, the Aston Martin driver is overtaken, but returns and takes the lead, but the two compatriots are ‘damaged’ and Perez passes, flying to third place. Leclerc also enters the fray and overtakes Alonso and then actually duels with Sainz.

The Spaniard pushes him out, the Monegasque resists and in a bend, shortly after, he slips him. Alonso has a puncture and drops in the standings, before retiring. Verstappen 1st, Hamilton 2nd and Perez 3rd at the finish line. We’re not back in 2021, but this is the Sprint podium. Leclerc 4th ahead of Sainz.