Verstappen wins Chinese Grand Prix to increase title grip

Max Verstappen rounded off a dominant weekend with victory in the first Chinese Grand Prix for five years on Sunday to extend his world championship lead, a day after romping to sprint victory, Report informs via France 24.

The three-time world champion controlled the race on its return to the Shanghai International Circuit for the first time since 2019.

He finished 13.7 seconds ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris with Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez third, a further six seconds back.

He was denied a 100 percent points-scoring weekend when Fernando Alonso picked up the bonus for the fastest lap after a late switch to fresh tyres.

It was another all-conquering display from Verstappen, who won his fourth grand prix this season and the 58th of his career.

He increased his lead over Perez at the top of the drivers championship to 25 points with Red Bull pulling 44 points clear of Ferrari in the constructors standings.

Only a rare brake failure and retirement in Melbourne denied Verstappen the chance of a clean sweep of all five rounds in 2024 as he marches towards a fourth consecutive world title.

"It felt amazing. The whole weekend we were incredibly quick. Just enjoyable to drive on every compound," said Verstappen, who took his first victory in China.

"We survived the restarts well and the car was basically on rails and I could do whatever I wanted with it.

"Those kind of weekends are amazing to feel and to achieve what we did this weekend is fantastic."

The Ferrari pair of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz were fourth and fifth.

Race strategy was largely decided by a safety car on lap 23, which enabled most cars to switch to hard tyres till the end.

George Russell came sixth for Mercedes with Alonso finishing seventh.

The Spanish veteran, 42, made a spectacular late charge through the field from 12th after his final stop on lap 43 of the 56-lap race.

McLaren's Oscar Piastri was eighth, chased home by Lewis Hamilton who clawed his way up to ninth from 18th on the grid.

The points-scorers were rounded out by Nico Hulkenberg in 10th for Haas.