Max Verstappen wins first F1 sprint race of season at Chinese Grand Prix

Max Verstappen, the triple world champion from Red Bull, emerged victorious in the opening sprint race of this year’s Formula One championship at the Chinese Grand Prix. The 19-lap race was held at the Shanghai International Circuit and Verstappen dominated the proceedings by finishing 13.043 seconds ahead of Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton. This triumph has extended his already commanding lead in the championship rankings, putting some distance between him and his teammate Sergio Perez, who came in third place.

On the ninth lap out of 19, Verstappen overtook Hamilton and then extended his lead to maintain his F1 superiority in all categories. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz completed the race in fourth and fifth places, respectively.

Verstappen stated that the initial laps were quite chaotic. However, once he managed to secure the lead, he found that his car was performing rather smoothly.

On Sunday, the Chinese Grand Prix will mark the fifth race of the season, and the 26-year-old is expected to win given that he has triumphed in three out of the first four GP races this year. Furthermore, Verstappen has emerged triumphant in 22 of the previous 26 races.

During the Shanghai Sprint, Lando Norris from McLaren and Hamilton kicked off in the first row, while Fernando Alonso from Aston Martin and Verstappen were positioned in the second row.

The first of six sprints in this season of F1 will cover one-third of the distance compared to a complete race. The one who wins will get eight points, while the second place will receive seven, six for the third and so on.

During the Chinese race, Verstappen won first place, which awarded him eight points. With this win, he increased his total points in the driver standings to 85. Perez also participated in the race and finished in the top ranks, earning six points. As a result, he maintained his second place standing in the standings with a total of 70 points.

Hamilton secured the second spot, which was somewhat of a comfort prize for him given that he hasn't played a significant role in recent seasons. He triumphed in his most recent Grand Prix in 2021 at the second-to-last race in Saudi Arabia.

Hamilton mentioned that he couldn't remember the sensation of being ahead of others. Nevertheless, he felt content while it lasted and appreciated the experience.

During the sprint race held on Saturday, the track was dry, which was quite the opposite of the qualifying session that took place on Friday. This session was unfavorable as it was rainy and caused the track to become hazardous, with Verstappen and a few other racers finding it difficult to navigate. Verstappen even compared it to driving on ice and lamented the chaotic conditions, which made it more challenging.

Heading into the first Formula 1 race in China in five years, the track is a huge question mark. A liquid asphalt covering, known as a thin "seal coating," has been applied to the circuit. Pirelli, the F1 tire provider, has stated that they were not completely informed about these modifications before the race.