The 2024 Formula 1 season’s first Sprint race in China provided drama and intrigue. While Max Verstappen ultimately charged through to continue his Sprint mastery, Lewis Hamilton surprisingly led the opening laps before succumbing to the reigning champion’s pace.

In a remarkable turn of events, Lewis Hamilton took the lead right from the start after making a brilliant pass on Lando Norris into Turn 1. For the first time in his illustrious F1 career, the seven-time world champion led a Sprint race.

Hamilton managed to keep Verstappen, who started fourth, behind for the opening eight laps. But the Dutchman’s relentless pressure finally told on lap 9 when he dove to the inside of the Mercedes at the hairpin to assume the lead he would not relinquish.

From there, Verstappen was unstoppable. He quickly gapped Hamilton and controlled proceedings to take his fifth consecutive Sprint victory dating back to last season. The reigning three time world champion’s ability to maximize Sprints is quickly becoming one of his most imposing strengths.

By leading every lap after passing Hamilton, Verstappen collected the maximum 8 points on offer to extend his lead in the drivers’ championship.

Looking at the final Sprint classification, we likely got an accurate preview of how the top cars will shake out for Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix. Verstappen and Red Bull appear to have a solid advantage once again, with Mercedes second-best based on Hamilton’s runner-up result.

The two Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz finished line astern in fourth and fifth, suggesting they have the pace to back up their qualifying performances. McLaren duo Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri will hope to make up ground from sixth and seventh respectively.

But all eyes will be on the leading Red Bull and Mercedes cars, with hopes that Hamilton can put up a sterner fight over a full race distance than he managed after leading early in the Sprint’s shortened format.

With Verstappen showing no signs of relenting from his record-breaking title defenses, it will take a mammoth effort from someone to unseat the Dutchman in 2024. China’s Sprint has only foreshadowed that reality heading into the Grand Prix on Sunday.