For the first time since 2019, the Formula 1 circus returned to Shanghai for the Chinese Grand Prix and the first Sprint weekend of the season.
Despite a minor setback during Friday’s Sprint Shootout, it was championship leader Max Verstappen who twice emerged victorious at the Shanghai International Circuit.
While Verstappen again cantered to the top step, things weren’t as straightforward for those caught amongst the midfield so, without further ado, how did the field fair upon the sport’s return to China?
Max Verstappen – 9.5
Sprint: Qualified: P4, Race: P1
Grand Prix: Qualified: P1, Race: P1
Verstappen was again the dominant force despite emerging fourth fastest in the Sprint Shootout having struggled to find grip in tricky conditions.
Come Saturday, Verstappen was back to his best and eased to victory in the Sprint with a 13-second margin over second-placed Lewis Hamilton before snatching pole for the Grand Prix with a three-tenth advantage over team-mate Sergio Perez.
The Dutchman again found himself with a healthy winning margin on Sunday despite two full Safety Car interventions in what was a brilliantly managed race from the Red Bull driver.
Sergio Perez – 7
Sprint: Qualified: P6, Race: P3
Grand Prix: Qualified: P2, Race: P3
Perez too struggled in Sprint qualifying and was unable to place himself higher than sixth on the grid before failing to carve his way back through the field with the same urgency as Verstappen.
A return to third in the Sprint was a solid result from the Mexican driver who went on to qualify alongside his team-mate for Sunday’s race.
However, Perez ceded position to Fernando Alonso early on, allowing Verstappen to find comfort out front. While he was able to reclaim the spot from Alonso, the timing of the Safety Car saw him lose out to Lando Norris who was able to escape the grasp of the far superior Red Bull.
Lando Norris – 9.5
Sprint: Qualified: P1, Race: P6
Grand Prix: Qualified: P4, Race: P2
Lando Norris’ hold on the top spot was shortlived during the Sprint after a blinding start from Mercedes rival Lewis Hamilton. A moment in the opening complex saw Norris slip off track and fall down the order.
Norris’ attempt to reclaim the Sprint lead at Turn 1 was perhaps his only misstep before earning a much-deserved eighth second-place finish of his F1 career on Sunday.
McLaren and Norris capitalised on the timing of the Safety Car to jump Perez after which the young Briton’s assured driving saw him build the gap until the finish line.
Oscar Piastri – 7
Sprint: Qualified: P8, Race: P7
Grand Prix: Qualified: P5, Race: P8
Oscar Piastri was always a step behind team-mate Norris in Shanghai, however on his first visit to China with Formula 1, the Australian can be excused for the disadvantage.
Piastri’s Sprint qualifying was hampered by a momentary car issue while in qualifying for the Grand Prix, he was just a tenth adrift of his more experienced team-mate.
His Grand Prix was then ruined after the RB of Daniel Ricciardo was sent flying into his rear diffuser but Piastri deserves plaudit for keeping Hamilton at bay despite carrying diffuser damage.
Charles Leclerc – 8.5
Sprint: Qualified: P7, Race: P4
Grand Prix: Qualified: P6, Race: P4
Having been outperformed by his outbound team-mate in recent weeks, Charles Leclerc was able to reverse the tide in China.
The Ferrari was the weakest it has been this season, yet Leclerc impressed with two hard-fought fourth-place finishes. The Monegasque found himself locked in a costly battle with his stablemate in the opening exchanges on Sunday, sending both Ferraris down the order.
Leclerc’s recovery was strong albeit aided by the timing of the Safety Car windows to salvage a strong points haul.
Carlos Sainz – 7.5
Sprint: Qualified: P5, Race: P5
Grand Prix: Qualified: P7, Race: P5
Since the news of his imminent Ferrari departure broke, Carlos Sainz has been one of the standout performers this season but his Chinese Grand Prix weekend failed to meet the same high standard he has set himself.
That being said it was still a strong weekend for the Spaniard who was marginally bettered by Leclerc in single lap and race performance.
The Spaniard escaped major drama with his high-speed spin in qualifying but found himself with damage after battling Fernando Alonso in the Sprint while understeer hampered his progress on Sunday.
George Russell – 7.5
Sprint: Qualified: P11, Race: P8
Grand Prix: Qualified: P8, Race: P6
Results have remained hard to come by for Mercedes in 2024, but once again it was George Russell who was able to extract the most from the W15.
Low tyre temperatures led to a disappointing Sprint Qualifying performance but Russell was able to fight back to a points finish.
A top 10 start on Sunday led to a straightforward race for the Briton with sixth place the maximum reward given the limitations of the Mercedes.
Lewis Hamilton – 7
Sprint: Qualified: P2, Race: P2
Grand Prix: Qualified: P18, Race: P9
Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton endured a weekend of two halves upon his return to China.
The Sprint pointed towards a strong weekend for Hamilton who nailed the launch to emerge as the race leader after Turn 1, however the Mercedes driver was powerless in fending off Verstappen.
Come Sunday’s race, Hamilton found himself towards the rear after a costly mistake at the hairpin in qualifying but an excellent fight back through the field meant the Mercedes driver was rewarded with a couple of points for his efforts.
Fernando Alonso – 7
Sprint: Qualified: P3, Race: DNF
Grand Prix: Qualified: P3, Race: P7
Fernando Alonso twice dragged the Aston Martin to third on the grid, however he was unable to match those lofty heights in race conditions.
An overly ambitious attempt to reclaim a position from Carlos Sainz in the Sprint led to retirement after suffering a puncture. Sunday’s race was stronger for the Spaniard, but his strategy was compromised by a limited tyre selection. A bonus point for fastest lap offered some solace.
Lance Stroll – 4
Sprint: Qualified: P15, Race: P14
Grand Prix: Qualified: P11, Race: P15
Stroll’s pace deficit to Alonso was exposed again, lapping some half-a-second slower than the Spaniard in SQ2. The Canadian offered some excitement in the Sprint with some daring overtakes only to end 14th.
He again failed to join his team-mate in advancing to Q3 but was set for a strong points finish until a bizarre lapse of concentration saw him ram Daniel Ricciardo under the Safety Car.
Rightfully, Stroll was penalised for the incident despite his attempts to offload blame onto the RB driver.
Nico Hulkenberg – 8
Sprint: Qualified: P13, Race: P19
Grand Prix: Qualified: P9, Race: P10
The first half of Nico Hulkenberg’s weekend was fruitless having gone in the wrong direction with the cars setup.
However, a poor sprint showing was juxtaposed by another top-ten finish for the Haas driver in the Grand Prix after benefitting from Stroll and Ricciardo’s prang.
Kevin Magnussen – 5
Sprint: Qualified: P12, Race: P10
Grand Prix: Qualified: P17, Race: P16
Having claimed tenth in the sprint, Magnussen’s weekend took a turn for the worse from then on.
The Dane was sent out too late for a final attempt in qualifying resulting in a Q1 exit while Hulkenberg would progress to Q3.
A dive bomb on Yuki Tsunoda resulted in needless contact, ending the RB driver’s race and warranting a penalty from the stewards for the misdemeanour.
Esteban Ocon – 7.5
Sprint: Qualified: P17, Race: P13
Grand Prix: Qualified: P13, Race: P11
Ocon was boosted by a much-needed upgrade in China with a new floor shedding some weight from the hamstrung Alpine A524.
While he was outperformed by Pierre Gasly in the Sprint Shootout, Ocon benefitted greatly in race settings en route to a season-best P11 on Sunday.
Pierre Gasly – 7
Sprint: Qualified: P16, Race: P15
Grand Prix: Qualified: P15, Race: P13
There were signs of promise for Pierre Gasly and Alpine despite having not received the same floor upgrade as compatriot Ocon.
Still, Gasly advanced into Q2 for the first time this season and a P13 finish matched his best performance of the year. On paper, it was another mediocre weekend for the French outfit but advancements are being made and, with time, points are surely on the horizon.
Alex Albon – 7
Sprint: Qualified: P18, Race: P17
Grand Prix: Qualified: P14, Race: P12
The Shanghai circuit didn’t do Williams any favours on the weekend as Albon, who again outperformed his machinery, struggled with degradation in the final stages of the race.
An early first stop didn’t do much to help his hopes of points on Sunday which are proving much harder to come by for the Anglo-Thai driver this year.
Logan Sargeant – 5
Sprint: Qualified: P20, Race: P18
Grand Prix: Qualified: P20, Race: P17
Barring his P18 finish in the Sprint, Logan Sargeant rounded out the field in all competitive action in his maiden F1 weekend in China.
The American struggled to get to grips with the temperamental Williams, highlighted by a spin in Q1 after finding a bump in the track.
Parc ferme changes led to a pitlane start, and he was always a step behind his counterpart.
Guanyu Zhou – 6
Sprint: Qualified: P10, Race: P9
Grand Prix: Qualified: P16, Race: P14
As the first Chinese driver in Formula 1, Guanyu Zhou received a warm welcome on home soil and reciprocated that with a strong Sprint showing for Sauber.
However, a lock-up at the hairpin ended hopes of returning to the final phase of qualifying and instead resulted in a Q1 exit and a mid-order finish in the Grand Prix.
Valtteri Bottas – 6.5
Sprint: Qualified: P9, Race: P12
Grand Prix: Qualified: P10, Race: DNF
Valterri Bottas had the edge over his team-mate in China, twice breaking into the top ten in qualifying.
Despite his heroics behind the wheel of the Sauber, both races were dampened by misfortune. In the sprint, his chances were scuppered after collecting wing damage from a brush with Zhou while an engine failure curtailed his search for points on Sunday.
Daniel Ricciardo – 6.5
Sprint: Qualified: P14, Race: P11
Grand Prix: Qualified: P12, Race: DNF
After a dismal start to the season, the Chinese Grand Prix marked the first weekend on which Ricciardo had the edge over team-mate Yuki Tsunoda.
Ricciardo credited a new chassis for his stronger weekend, and having come close to a top-ten finish on Saturday, the Australian had high hopes for Sunday.
Those were dashed by the clumsy clout from Stroll under Safety Car conditions, ending the RB driver’s race. He also picked up a needless grid drop for the Miami Grand Prix after re-overtaking Hulkenberg under the Safety Car.
Yuki Tsunoda – 5.5
Sprint: Qualified: P19, Race: P16
Grand Prix: Qualified: P19, Race: DNF
Yuki Tsunoda struggled to get his Chinese Grand Prix weekend underway and was always a step behind Ricciardo despite having the edge over his more experienced team-mate to this point.
His first F1 race in China was hampered by setup concerns and a lack of grip while his Grand Prix was written off when he was clouted by the Haas of Kevin Magnussen.
