Max Verstappen claimed victory at the Chinese Grand Prix, outpacing McLaren’s Lando Norris and his own teammate Sergio Perez in a race marked by two safety car interruptions. Verstappen, starting from pole position, led the pack into Turn 1, while Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin made a bold move around the outside of Perez to snatch second place. Perez managed to fend off Norris for third, with the early stages seeing intense battles throughout the field.
Verstappen quickly built a significant gap of over 2 seconds, while Perez pursued Alonso for second position. Behind them, Norris made a decisive move to overtake Alonso, while Charles Leclerc of Ferrari showcased his skills by overtaking George Russell for sixth place. As the race unfolded, strategic pit stops shuffled the order, with Verstappen regaining the lead after a pit stop and Perez encountering some delays.
The race took a dramatic turn when Valtteri Bottas’s Sauber experienced a technical issue, prompting a virtual safety car and then a full safety car deployment. Verstappen, leading comfortably until then, lost his advantage as the field bunched up behind the safety car. Meanwhile, Alonso made a strategic pit stop for fresh soft tires, aiming to gain an advantage in the closing stages.
The race resumed with Verstappen still in the lead, followed by Norris and Leclerc. Perez wasted no time in reclaiming third place from Leclerc. Despite starting from 18th on the grid, Lewis Hamilton fought his way through the pack to enter the points-scoring positions. Meanwhile, Alonso’s strategic gamble paid off as he surged through the field to claim seventh place and secure the fastest lap of the race.
In the end, Verstappen cruised to his fourth win of the season, with Norris and Perez completing the podium. Leclerc, Sainz, and Russell rounded out the top six finishers. Alonso’s impressive performance saw him finish seventh and claim the extra point for the fastest lap. Despite setbacks, Hamilton managed to salvage a points finish, crossing the line in ninth place.
