Welcome to our live coverage of the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix from the iconic Shanghai International Circuit. Today’s race is set to be a spectacle of strategy and speed, as Formula 1 returns to China for the first time in five years.
The weekend has already seen intense action, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen securing pole position in a commanding qualifying session, closely followed by teammate Sergio Perez, setting up a potential duel for the lead as the race unfolds.
Meanwhile, Aston Martin‘s Fernando Alonso, starting third, represents a significant threat from the midfield, with the McLaren pair of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri lining up fourth and fifth on the grid. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz in the Ferrari cars are just behind in sixth and seventh.
Lewis Hamilton is in an uncharacteristic 18th place after making numerous set-up changes to his Mercedes which took the car well out the operating window, which just three hours before finished second in the Chinese GP Sprint Race.
As the engines start and the lights prepare to go out, stay tuned for continuous updates, expert analysis, and behind-the-scenes insights from Shanghai. Join us for every overtaking manoeuvre, pit stop strategy, and podium finish as the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix unfolds live.
F1 2024 Chinese GP LIVE – Latest Updates and News
What happened at the 2024 Chinese GP? Here’s your report:
Max Verstappen dominated once again, but as usual there was chaos behind him.
More from the Singapore GP
Catch up with Total Motorsport's latest Singapore GP coverage, including Max Verstappen's victory at Marina Bay, Ferrari's costly strategy gamble, the full race classification, and the updated 2026 Formula 1 Drivers' and Constructors' Championship standings.
Who finished where? Here are your 2024 Chinese GP race results.
Read the report below:
Is Max Verstappen bored of winning yet?
“It felt amazing,” Verstappen said to the media after the race. “The whole weekend we were incredibly quick. Just enjoyable to drive on every compound.
“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.”
Lando Norris on overperforming expectations in China…
“Surprised, so I’m very happy,” Norris said to media post-race. “I’m happy for the whole team, they deserved it. Good pit stops. Just today worked out.
“I don’t know why, it was not the race I was expecting to have today, but just got comfortable and could manage the tyres a lot, which was an easier task than what I could have yesterday.
“And I could just push, the car felt great and I felt comfortable. So a good day, good points, and another podium. So very happy.
“I was surprised by many things: the lack of pace from Ferrari, our good pace, and I guess us comparing to the Red Bull which was so surprising.
“I just wasn’t expecting today. I got everything ready to go home early and not be on the podium, so it’s a pleasant surprise. But it shows the team have done a good job, have worked hard and it’s paying off.
“I made a bet how far behind the Ferrari we would finish today. I thought 35s – and I was very wrong by that. So happy to be wrong with myself, and my own bets, but a good day for everyone.”
Sergio Perez reacts to his latest podium in F1
“It really cost us quite a bit unfortunately we got the Safety Car and lost two places,” Perez said to F1 media in parc ferme. “We did most of the lap on the hard and fighting like that in the early laps, the life of the tyre goes off dramatically.
“But at least we got onto the podium. But it would have been good to be one and two. We were definitely lacking some pace, especially on the medium compound, we struggled a bit with the balance.
“We changed a lot from yesterday to today, so we didn’t read the conditions as perfectly as we could but overall it was a strong weekend and we understand the reasons today why the race pace was a little down.”
Zhou Guanyu feels the love
Zhou is the first Chinese driver to race around the Chinese GP and he was born in Shanghai too. He actually had a pretty good weekend, with some good overtakes and an excellent Sprint performance but it didn’t yield a point in the end.
As he parks on the main straight in a special zone for him, in a lovely touch, he kneels and puts his heads in his hands feeling the emotion of the day as the crowd cheers him.
One of the beautiful parts of sport that makes it so enjoyable.
Funny moment for Lando Norris…
Lando Norris forgets that the parc ferme for the podium cars is on the pit straight and he attempts to drive into the pits before realising and stopping.
He then continues into the pit lane where the FIA sets up an isolated parc ferme for him.
MAX VERSTAPPEN WINS THE 2024 CHINESE GRAND PRIX
Dominant? Yes. Predictable? Yes. Formula 1 is the Max Verstappen playground at the moment and the reigning world champion cruises to his latest victory, leading Lando Norris over the line by 15 seconds.
That’s with two safety cars too. The Dutchman never looked in trouble at all and he wins at his latest F1 circuit leaving him one behind Lewis Hamilton’s record!
Norris beats Sergio Perez to second, then comes Leclerc, Sainz, Russell, Alonso, Piastri, Hamilton and Hulkenberg.
LAP 55/56: Verstappen has a rival!
Max Verstappen has a new rival in F1 and it’s debris from car accidents. The Dutchman run over some debris on track and reported it to GP in case there was a puncture.
That’s the biggest challenge he had all race.
LAP 54/56: Verstappen dominant again
The Dutchman’s star-bound for his latest F1 world championship and the victory in China never seemed in doubt after the sprint race yesterday.
Verstappen leads by 13 seconds from Lando Norris.
LAP 53/56: A million dollar point for Haas?
Nico Hulkenberg runs in 10th and is set to collect his third point of the season and Haas’s fifth, that puts them two points behind RB after the double retirement today.
How much will that point be worth come December?
LAP 51/56: Five laps to go…
There are a couple of battles on track as Lewis Hamilton chases after Oscar Piastri for 8th and Fernando Alonso threatens to catch George Russell, but not by much.
LAP 50/56: Zhou’s good weekend
The Shanghai-native might not get any points out of the Chinese Grand Prix but he’s had fun this weekend and the latest highlight is a nice move on Logan Sargeant for 15th.
Today, he’s made a decent case to keep his F1 seat when Audi take over in 2026.
LAP 49/56: Alonso goes very wide
He’s chasing Lewis Hamilton and Hamilton always makes you work hard so Alonso goes briefly over the limit and dips his rears into the gravel, with the car pivoting left.
Amazing reactions from the 42-year-old to hold onto the car.
He then passes Hamilton and Piastri before the lap finishes. Great pace by him so far. Can he catch Russell? The gap is 11 seconds.
LAP 48/56: Alonso is quick
Those mediums are working a treat for the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso as he’s lapping a few seconds quicker than those around him. Hulkenberg is the latest to be taken.
Hamilton next up.
LAP 46/56: The order with 11 to go
Verstappen leads comfortably with time running out for any faint challenges. Then comes Norris and Perez for the podium.
Leclerc, Sainz, Russell, Piastri, Hamilton, Hulkenberg and Alonso make up the Top 10
LAP 45/56: Mistake by Norris!
The McLaren is racing for second and is on the limit as he looks to hold the podium from Sergio Perez, but he locks up into the final hairpin and loses a decent chunk of time.
The gap is now five seconds with 11 laps to go.
LAP 43/56: Alonso pits
His soft tyre experiment was valiant at the restart but it didn’t work and he now pits for mediums. He drops back down to 12th, five seconds behind Albon.
Esteban Ocon, who inherits 10th, has six seconds to try to see if he can earn a rare point for Alpine.
LAP 41/56: Verstappen’s got this in the bag
You might be wondering why there’s been no update on Verstappen, and that’s because there’s little to update. The defending champion continues to edge clear a few tenths at a time as he leads Lando Norris by eight seconds now.
Only a reliability concern will stop him from here.
LAP 40/56: Hamilton vs Hulkenberg
Hamilton’s been tucked up behind that Haas ever since the safety car restart but now he fancies a go with those hard tyres coming into the peak of their lives.
He’s all over the Haas, ensuring it stays out of the ideal line before he lunges through on the inside at Turn 9! Great move! Hamilton takes 9th place.
LAP 39/56: Sergio Perez goes down the inside!
Sergio Perez seizes third place from the Ferrari with a fantastic move down the inside, although Charles Leclerc was also more than compliant too…
A lot of drivers are enjoying Turn 6 as an overtaking spot today.
LAP 37/56: Perez hunting Leclerc
Charles Leclerc currently occupies third but he won’t for much longer as Sergio Perez is hot on his gearbox.
Perez dropped down the order after pitting under the first safety car and now he’s looking to get back up to second, the minimum that amazing car under him actually deserves.
LAP 35/56: Great action from Stroll and Magnussen
The pair are scrapping for 16th-place but the way they’re going at it, you’d think they’re battling for the world championship on the final lap!
The Haas and Aston Martin are hard but fair and eventually Stroll manages to fend off Magnussen for the time being after a lunge into the final hairpin to hold his place.
LAP 34/56: Ricciardo retires
Daniel Ricciardo retires with major diffuser damage after the collision by Lance Stroll when Fernando Alonso locked up into the hairpin at the first safety car restart.
LAP 34/56: 10 SECOND PENALTY FOR STROLL AND SARGEANT
Lance Stroll gets a 10-second penalty at the same time as Logan Sargeant and Kevin Magnussen all do too.
It doesn’t really affect Stroll or Magnussen who are running around last but it drops Sargeant from 13th to 15th as things stand.
LAP 33/56: Ricciardo drops down the order
The Australian had a promising weekend running a new chassis but now it’s turning sour has he loses three places in two laps at the safety car restart and reports he’s got no rear.
He needs to come in and retire, that car’s not okay.
LAP 32/56: Verstappen leads again
Max Verstappen’s always been quite good at safety car restarts and he holds the lead again, checking out from Lando Norris at the front of the pack.
This time it seems as though everyone has been sensible. Nico Hulkenberg gets up into 9th and Hamilton to 10th as they pass Daniel Ricciardo.
Hulkenberg is under investigation for a safety car infringement.
LAP 31/56: SAFETY CAR ENDING
Max Verstappen will get us racing in just moments.
LAP 31/56: The big winner from the melee? Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton gained SEVEN places in that crash to move himself up from 17th to 11th and to really bring his race alive behind the Haas and the RB of Ricciardo, who amazingly doesn’t have diffuser damage by the looks of it.
So what happened in that incident?
Kevin Magnussen got a puncture as the Haas appeared to whack into the back of Yuki Tsunoda’s RB in a completely unforced error. It’s resulted in the Japanese driver retiring and Magnussen running in 17th.
The Stroll one? Still not sure. He said that Ricciardo braked unexpectedly and seemed to rear-end him, giving himself front-wing damage. He’s now running last of the existing cars.
It might have all been caused by a Fernando Alonso (running 5th) lock-up into the last hairpin of the track.
LAP 27/56: SAFETY CAR DEPLOYED
Chaos at the back of the grid at the restart as Stroll, both RBs and Kevin Magnussen are all caught up in different collisions.
Yuki Tsunoda is OUT of the race.
LAP 27/56: Verstappen holds the lead
Everyone navigates the restart pretty well at the front. Carlos Sainz has a brief look at Perez but the door is closed. Alonso, on the softs, didn’t make any gains either.
LAP 26/56: SAFETY CAR ENDING
Max Verstappen will lead Lando Norris away at the restart. Can the McLaren make a move?
What was the race director thinking?
That’s an almost sackable offence from the Race Director and Race Control to leave active racing for so long when Bottas had stopped in such a dangerous location.
The Finn’s Sauber died right at the end of the straight and he parked it just past the braking zone yet that apparently wasn’t dangerous enough to Race Control to issue a safety car straight away.
Sainz and Stroll were racing each other as they approached the scene, what if one of them locked up or if they crashed too?
LAP 24/56: Verstappen pits
The defending world champion comes into the pits to change his tyres for the final time today after building up a huge 19 second gap to Sergio Perez, who also pits.
Norris stays out, Leclerc stays out. Perez comes out into 4th with a bit of work to do.
LAP 23/56: Norris pits!
A virtual safety car is FINALLY deployed for the Bottas retirement and Lando Norris pulls into the pits to make a cheap pit stop. Norris emerges back into the race in 3rd, ahead of Alonso and Leclerc by a very healthy margin.
Leclerc pits too and Hamilton and Stroll also pit. There is a slightly reduced stop time as everyone is going slower so the benefit is to pit if possible.
LAP 21/56: Sainz with a huge mistake
Carlos Sainz frantically tries to get past Lance Stroll for 8th but he tries a bit too frantically and has a huge lock up whilst the Aston Martin simply cuts back under him. Rookie error by the Spaniard.
LAP 20/56: Bottas OUT of the Chinese Grand Prix
This could be a safety car of some sorts as Bottas stops in a gravel trap in the middle of the track. He says that his engine cut out and that’s the day over for the Finn who finished second here in 2019.
He’s stopped in the middle of Turns 11 and 13, pretty much right in the firing line of one of the straights.
LAP 19/56: Verstappen back into the lead
Max Verstappen’s slowly edged closer to Lando Norris since boxing and now he finally takes the official lead of today’s Chinese Grand Prix back.
The gap to the next car (Perez) who has also stopped is around 13 seconds.
LAP 18/56: Sainz wisely boxes
The Ferrari driver is racing for his F1 future but bizarrely chose the wrong battle as he attempted to hold up Sergio Perez’s Red Bull.
It’s not possible for Leclerc or him to stay ahead of them so we’ve no idea why he wasted his own lap time like that. Strange one.
Sainz pits and comes back out into 10th.
LAP 16/56: Verstappen up to second
Max Verstappen’s got past Charles Leclerc and now he’s running in second, but, of course, has the true lead of the race as Lando Norris is yet to stop.
LAP 15/56: Stroll looks pretty solid
The Canadian, who appeared to question his own future in the sport, is in a good groove today as he makes a very nice lunge on Kevin Magnussen’s Haas.
His pace looks decent and he’s running in the points.
LAP 14/56: Red Bull’s double stack!
That’s a treat for the fans as Red Bull execute a slick double stack to make sure both drivers are protected from any undercuts at the exact same time.
They didn’t need to take the risk but it was nice of them to show off to everyone else.
At the polar end of the spectrum, Pierre Gasly gets a disastrous stop by Alpine and now he’s running last and eight seconds behind Logan Sargeant.
LAP 13/56: Nice move by Hamilton
Similar to how he took the lead from Oscar Piastri, Hamilton goes dancing around the outside of Yuki Tsunoda into Turn 1. That’s one for the YouTube highlights reels in the future.
He’s in 15th and is running the medium and now seems to be flexing his pace.
LAP 11/56: Leclerc is coming alive
Charles Leclerc took some time to remember Formula 1 racers are allowed to overtake but now he’s beginning to arrive at the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix as he passes Oscar Piastri into the final corner.
Fernando Alonso and George Russell pit at the exact same time, releasing Carlos Sainz and protecting themselves from any potential undercuts.
LAP 10/56: Russell drops down the order
Toto Wolff said he hopes Lewis Hamilton will enjoy the sight of Mercedes’ rear wings when he moves to Ferrari. He might be feeling second hand embarrassment at the moment.
One lap after dropping behind Charles Leclerc, George Russell has Carlos Sainz all over him and the move feels inevitable.
That will be a Mercedes team that dominantly won here in 2019 running in 8th and 19th. A huge fall from grace.
LAP 9/56: The Ferrari’s are lacking any impression
Ferrari have had the luxury of being the second fastest car in all of the races so far this season but at the moment they’re not making a huge impression. Perhaps the race will come to them with tyre degradation?
That might be happening as Charles Leclerc swoops around the outside of George Russell into Turn 1.
LAP 7/56: Norris takes third!
Lando Norris and that McLaren are quick today and using DRS, he gets into the slip stream and dive bombs Fernando Alonso into the second to last corner to take the final podium spot! The pair are three seconds behind Perez in 2nd.
Both teams have the same Mercedes engine so Alonso had nothing to defend with.
LAP 6/56: Verstappen a second a lap faster
There’s not going to be much of a race for the win today as Max Verstappen currently laps a second faster than Sergio Perez. A lot of drivers are going to be lapped at this kind of pace.
LAP 5/56: Perez dives past Alonso
Fernando Alonso was out of place in second and Sergio Perez behind knew it as he sent it down the inside as Daniel Ricciardo did on Valtteri Bottas back in 2018.
Alonso didn’t care to fight it too much, his race is with Lando Norris in fourth as the pair battle for the final podium spot behind the runaway Red Bulls.
LAP 3/56: Is Ocon moving under braking?
Alex Albon and Esteban Ocon are fighting hard over 12th-place and the Williams driver claims that Ocon is moving “all over the place” under braking.
Verstappen leads by 3.1 seconds.
LAP 2/56: Ferraris on the back foot
The Ferrari’s are tipped to have good race pace but slipped backwards at the start with Charles Leclerc running in 7th and Carlos Sainz running in 8th.
Lewis Hamilton reports discomfort on the soft tyre as he’s running in 19th, only ahead of Logan Sargeant.
LAP 1/56: LIGHTS OUT AND WE ARE RACING IN CHINA
The sold out event marks the 20th year of the Chinese Grand Prix and it gets underway as Max Verstappen holds the lead from Sergio Perez into Turn 1, who concedes the place to Fernando Alonso too as the Aston Martin goes around the outside!
Lando Norris tucks into 4th, holding his place as Max Verstappen is already checking out in the lead.
Zhou Guanyu gets punchy as the home hero sticks a move on Kevin Magnussen to take 17th place from the Haas, he’s ahead of Lewis Hamilton too!
Max Verstappen reports rain!
Could the heavens open and rescue Lewis Hamilton after he qualified 18th?
Max Verstappen reports that there are already a few drizzles as they get ready for the formation lap…
The FIA says the risk of rain is 10% for today’s race, which will start in a minute.
Pirelli predict a two-stopper
All strategies from the Italian tyre supplier, Pirelli, predict teams will peel into the pit lane at least twice to make it to the chequered flag, with medium, hard, medium predicted as the quickest way to the line.
We’re sure someone will attempt to eek out a one-stopper from somewhere though…
Late panic work on Fernando Alonso’s car!
The mechanics are going to town on Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin with just minutes to go until lights out as the Spaniard picked up damage to the exterior of his floor on the lap to the grid.
Ted Kravitz tells Sky Sports F1 he thinks it will be sorted out before the lights go out but Alonso will hope his luck picks up in the race…
Lando Norris looks for joy in China
Lando Norris took a stunning pole position for the Chinese GP Sprint Race on Friday but suffered heartbreak after Turn 1 in the race when he went wide battling with Lewis Hamilton and dropped from the lead to seventh in a handful of corners.
So what does he seek out of today’s race? Is he looking for revenge?
“We will give it a good shot,” Norris said to Sky Sports F1. “The pace has been good all weekend. long race ahead, lots of things can happen. Cool temperatures and we can have a fun race.”
How do they line up for the first time in half a decade at Shanghai?
Who will be fighting for that all-important lead into the swooping right hander of turn one? Are there any surprises up or down the grid? Where did the home hero, Zhou Guanyu, qualify?
What to watch in the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix?
As has been the case in F1 since 2022’s summer break, one person is effectively guaranteed to win the race if pace data predictions are anything to go off but there could be a very close fight behind Verstappen.
Here’s watch to keep an eye out for:
Can anyone stop Max Verstappen?
Good morning and welcome to the live blog!
Formula 1 is back in China for the first time since 2019 and Max Verstappen starts from pole as he bids for his latest win on a different circuit. The Dutchman seems rapid, but can anyone stop him?
Could rain be a factor?
Where to Watch the F1 2024 Chinese GP
In the UK, the event will be broadcast on Sky Sports F1, with streaming available via Sky Go and NOW TV. In the USA, coverage will be provided by ESPN, accessible also through the ESPN App, Hulu Live TV, and Sling TV.
Australian viewers can watch the races on Fox Sports 506 and stream them on Kayo Sports. In Canada, the Grand Prix will be televised on TSN 1/5, with streaming options available through TSN Direct.
Chinese GP 2024 start time in UK
For UK viewers, the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix will start at 8:00 AM BST, allowing fans to kick off their Sunday with the thrilling spectacle of Formula 1. The entire race and build up will be broadcast on Sky Sports F1.
Chinese GP 2024 start time in USA
In the United States, the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix will begin at 3:00 AM EDT for viewers on the East Coast, with a late-night start of 12:00 AM PDT for those on the West Coast. ESPN will broadcast the race.
Pirelli tyres and track info
