Max Verstappen dominated the sprint race at the Chinese Grand Prix, clinching victory from pole position in a session marked by tricky weather and fierce battles behind him.
The Red Bull driver pulled away early, building a comfortable lead over McLaren’s Lando Norris, who started alongside him on the front row. Norris held second initially but couldn’t match Verstappen’s pace, eventually finishing there after fending off challenges.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc made strong gains, charging from sixth on the grid to third, overtaking teammate Lewis Hamilton late in the race. Hamilton, in his Ferrari debut season, settled for fourth after a solid but unspectacular run.
Further back, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri impressed with a climb to fifth, while Mercedes’ George Russell took sixth ahead of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, who dropped positions after an early tussle.
The sprint saw light rain add drama, with drivers managing tire wear carefully on the Shanghai circuit. No major incidents disrupted the order, but the points haul sets up an intriguing qualifying later today.
Verstappen’s win extends his championship lead, with Norris and Leclerc picking up valuable points in the tight fight for second.
