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Max Verstappen won the Chinese Grand Prix sprint race by fighting past Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso. Lando Norris, who started from pole position, slid wide at the first corner while trying to fend off Hamilton's Mercedes. Verstappen took a few laps to find his footing in the Red Bull car but soon caught up with his rivals ahead.
Alonso managed to hold on until late in the race when Ferrari's Carlos Sainz overtook him. Red Bull's Sergio Perez then took advantage of the situation by passing both Sainz and Alonso to take third place. Sainz then fought with his teammate Charles Leclerc, with the two Ferraris touching wheels at the hairpin. Leclerc emerged as the winner, taking fourth place ahead of Sainz and a disappointed Norris.
Alonso had to pit to change a tire punctured in his clash with Sainz. However, he was told to retire the car within a lap due to the damage caused.
Verstappen commented after the race, "The first few laps were quite hectic. They were pushing quite hard up front and I had Carlos behind with new tyres, and it was very difficult to keep him behind. Then as the race went on, we became stronger, and I felt more comfortable with the balance of the car and could look after my tires. I am very pleased with that."
The victory for Verstappen gave him another eight points towards a fourth championship that already appears to be bought and paid for. His win had an easy inevitability about it as he clinically dispatched his rivals from fourth on the grid, achieved in a hectic wet qualifying session on Friday. He pulled out a 13-second advantage in just 10 laps, leaving little hope for the grand prix on Sunday.
Hamilton's second-place finish was by far his best result of a season that has started with difficulty for a Mercedes team struggling with their new car. Hamilton said, "That's the best result I've had in a long time, so I am super happy and grateful. This is a huge step and improvement. The race was tough, and if I was further back, I would have struggled to progress. I found a lot about this car through this short stint, so I am excited about tomorrow."
The action took place behind the two men who fought out a bitter title fight in 2021. Heading into the second half of the race, Alonso was leading a train of cars involving Sainz, Perez, Leclerc, and Norris. The veteran Spaniard looked to have the measure of Sainz, but as his tires began to fade into the closing laps, Sainz attacked. He attempted to go around the Aston Martin through the fast Turns Seven and Eight with three laps to go. As the two Spaniards fought wheel to wheel, the cars appeared to touch, which may have been where Alonso sustained the damage that forced his retirement. Perez managed to sneak ahead of both to take third place.
Behind him, Sainz immediately came under attack from Leclerc, who drew alongside down the long back straight and tried to pass around the outside of the hairpin at the end of it. Sainz slid wide, and the two cars touched wheels, leaving Leclerc unhappy. However, the man who was staying at Ferrari at the end of this season passed the one who was leaving at Turn One at the start of the next lap to take third.
