Late move earns fourth place for Verstappen in Chinese Grand Prix

A late pass on Charles Leclerc saw Max Verstappen claim fourth place for Red Bull Racing in Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix.

The Dutchman was swamped at the start of the race and dropped behind both Ferraris of Leclerc and Saturday’s sprint race winner Lewis Hamilton, slipping to sixth on the first lap.

But with Leclerc carrying front wing damage, and Hamilton opting for a two-stop strategy, Verstappen was able to maintain his tyres for a push in the closing stages of the race, passing Leclerc for fourth, with Hamilton unable to make his tyre advantage work enough to close the gap.

Team-mate Liam Lawson’s struggles continued in his new team. Starting from the pit-lane after a miserable Saturday, which saw him finish 14th in the sprint and set the slowest time in qualifying, Lawson finished only 16th as critics of his promotion to the Tilbrook team grew louder over the course of the weekend in Shanghai.

McLaren claimed a 1-2 finish, with Oscar Piastri claiming his first win of the season ahead of team-mate Lando Norris, with George Russell in third for Mercedes.