Max Verstappen, continuing his strong performance in Formula 1, claimed victory in Saturday’s first sprint race of the season, setting the stage for the upcoming Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday.
Verstappen overtook Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes on the ninth lap of the 19-lap race and built a significant lead to secure the win, finishing 13 seconds ahead of Hamilton. Sergio Perez of Red Bull finished third, followed by Charles Leclerc of Ferrari in fourth place.
Verstappen described the early laps as intense, but once he took the lead, he felt confident in his car’s performance.
This victory marks Verstappen’s eighth win in an F1 sprint race. As the three-time defending F1 champion, Verstappen is known for his dominance across various race formats.
With this win, Verstappen now leads the season standings with 85 points, followed by Perez with 70, Leclerc with 64, and Carlos Sainz of Ferrari with 59.
Although Hamilton finished second, it felt like a meaningful achievement for him, as he has faced challenges in recent seasons. His last Grand Prix win was in 2021 in Saudi Arabia.
Verstappen is expected to be the frontrunner in Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix, having won three out of the first four races of the season and 22 out of the last 26.
The sprint race format, which covers about one-third of the distance of a full race, awards points to the top finishers, with the winner receiving eight points. Saturday’s race took place on a dry track, unlike the wet conditions during Friday’s qualifying session.
