Max Verstappen triumphed from the pole position in an eventful Chinese Grand Prix, marked by numerous incidents and overtaking maneuvers. He led the race to the finish line, with McLaren's Lando Norris and his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez trailing behind, marking the team's fourth victory out of five races this season.
Verstappen controlled the majority of the race at the Shanghai International Circuit, navigating through a strategic battle that involved a Virtual Safety Car and two full Safety Car interventions. Despite the unfolding drama, the Dutch driver maintained composure at the forefront of the pack.
Norris adopted a strategy along with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, making only one pit stop. Capitalizing on the Virtual Safety Car and Safety Car periods, Norris seized the opportunity to overtake Perez for second place, a position he maintained until the race's conclusion.
Leclerc and Sainz secured fourth and fifth places respectively, with Leclerc expressing concerns about his tire wear towards the end of the race. Meanwhile, George Russell led Mercedes' performance, finishing in sixth place.
Fernando Alonso implemented an unconventional strategy by opting for soft tires during a mid-race pit stop, diverging from the majority who chose hard tires. This decision led to a late stop for mediums and a series of overtakes, allowing Alonso to climb from 12th to seventh place, overtaking McLaren's Oscar Piastri in the final laps.
Lewis Hamilton, who faced challenges with tire issues and an early exit in Q1, demonstrated resilience by maneuvering through the field to secure ninth place. Nico Hulkenberg of Haas claimed the last available point, finishing in tenth place.
Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly of Alpine, along with Alex Albon of Williams, completed the middle pack in positions 11 to 13. Zhou Guanyu of Kick Sauber made history by becoming the first Chinese driver to compete on home soil, finishing in 14th place.
