Max Verstappen continued his torrid start to the 2024 Formula 1 season, leading wire-to-wire to win a dramatic Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai. The Red Bull driver converted pole position into his fourth victory from the first five races, staying clear of the chaos behind him on the way to a convincing win (career win 58).

The race was filled with incidents and overtaking, including two Safety Car periods. Lando Norris drove brilliantly for McLaren to finish second (15th career podium), splitting the Red Bull duo with Sergio Perez taking third. The Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz completed the top five.

A mid-race Safety Car shook up strategies, with several drivers including Norris, Leclerc and Sainz executing a one-stop plan to gain track position. Others like Verstappen, Perez and Lewis Hamilton pitted twice under the race neutralizations.

There was plenty of drama, with Fernando Alonso recovering from 12th to 7th with a late charge on fresher tires. However, retirements for Daniel Ricciardo, Yuki Tsunoda and Valtteri Bottas dampened the action somewhat.

When the dust settled, Verstappen’s untroubled drive extended his championship lead to 25 points over Perez. The next stop is the Miami Grand Prix on May 3-5.