2024 Chinese GP Sprint: Fastest Lap & Pace Gaps
Every car frozen on the finish line, with each gap to Max Verstappen’s fastest lap shown to scale in real metres. Sprint at Shanghai, round 5.
Chinese Grand Prix 2024 Sprint: what happened
Max Verstappen set the fastest lap for the Chinese Grand Prix 2024 Sprint with a 1:40.331 for Red Bull Racing at Shanghai. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) was 0.089s behind, and at racing speed that is 7.8 m of track between them as they crossed the line.
Fernando Alonso completed the top three for Aston Martin, 0.206s off Max Verstappen. Across the whole classified order the field spread out to 191.2 m, from Max Verstappen to Logan Sargeant.
The closest call of the session was between Zhou Guanyu and George Russell: 0.003s apart, about 0.26 m at speed.
| # | Driver | Team | Lap time | Gap | Behind (to scale) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 1:40.331 | Fastest | — |
| 2 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1:40.420 | +0.089 | 7.8 m |
| 3 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:40.537 | +0.206 | 18.0 m |
| 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:40.951 | +0.620 | 54.3 m |
| 5 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 1:40.962 | +0.631 | 55.2 m |
| 6 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:41.003 | +0.672 | 58.8 m |
| 7 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull Racing | 1:41.065 | +0.734 | 64.2 m |
| 8 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:41.107 | +0.776 | 67.9 m |
| 9 | Zhou Guanyu | Kick Sauber | 1:41.502 | +1.171 | 102.5 m |
| 10 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:41.505 | +1.174 | 102.7 m |
| 11 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:42.017 | +1.686 | 147.5 m |
| 12 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB | 1:42.056 | +1.725 | 150.9 m |
| 13 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas F1 Team | 1:42.092 | +1.761 | 154.1 m |
| 14 | Valtteri Bottas | Kick Sauber | 1:42.140 | +1.809 | 158.3 m |
| 15 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine | 1:42.191 | +1.860 | 162.8 m |
| 16 | Daniel Ricciardo | RB | 1:42.234 | +1.903 | 166.5 m |
| 17 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:42.258 | +1.927 | 168.6 m |
| 18 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas F1 Team | 1:42.315 | +1.984 | 173.6 m |
| 19 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 1:42.389 | +2.058 | 180.1 m |
| 20 | Logan Sargeant | Williams | 1:42.516 | +2.185 | 191.2 m |
How big is the gap, really?
Max Verstappen set the sprint fastest lap at the Chinese Grand Prix 2024 with a 1:40.331. On the timesheet the field looks bunched into tenths, but at racing speed those tenths stretch out: from fastest lap to Logan Sargeant the field covers 191.2 m.
Chinese Grand Prix 2024 Sprint: your questions
- Who set the fastest lap at the Chinese Grand Prix 2024?
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) set the fastest lap at the Chinese Grand Prix 2024 sprint with a 1:40.331 at Shanghai.
- What was the fastest lap at the Chinese Grand Prix 2024?
- The fastest lap of the Chinese Grand Prix 2024 sprint was a 1:40.331, set by Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) at Shanghai.
- How close was sprint at the Chinese Grand Prix 2024?
- Max Verstappen beat Lewis Hamilton to fastest lap by 0.089s. At racing speed that margin is 7.8 m of track. Across the whole field, from fastest lap to Logan Sargeant in P20, the spread is 2.185s or 191.2 m.
- How far behind was Lewis Hamilton at the Chinese Grand Prix 2024?
- Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) had the 2nd-fastest lap in sprint at the Chinese Grand Prix 2024 with a 1:40.420, 0.089s behind Max Verstappen's fastest lap. Converted to distance at racing speed, that is 7.8 m of track behind.
- How far behind was Fernando Alonso at the Chinese Grand Prix 2024?
- Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) had the 3rd-fastest lap in sprint at the Chinese Grand Prix 2024 with a 1:40.537, 0.206s behind Max Verstappen's fastest lap. Converted to distance at racing speed, that is 18.0 m of track behind.
- How far behind was Lando Norris at the Chinese Grand Prix 2024?
- Lando Norris (McLaren) had the 4th-fastest lap in sprint at the Chinese Grand Prix 2024 with a 1:40.951, 0.620s behind Max Verstappen's fastest lap. Converted to distance at racing speed, that is 54.3 m of track behind.
- How far behind was Carlos Sainz at the Chinese Grand Prix 2024?
- Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) had the 5th-fastest lap in sprint at the Chinese Grand Prix 2024 with a 1:40.962, 0.631s behind Max Verstappen's fastest lap. Converted to distance at racing speed, that is 55.2 m of track behind.
- How far behind was Charles Leclerc at the Chinese Grand Prix 2024?
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) had the 6th-fastest lap in sprint at the Chinese Grand Prix 2024 with a 1:41.003, 0.672s behind Max Verstappen's fastest lap. Converted to distance at racing speed, that is 58.8 m of track behind.
- How much is a tenth of a second in metres at Shanghai?
- On this lap a tenth of a second is worth roughly 8.8 m of track. That is why Lewis Hamilton's 0.089s at the Chinese Grand Prix 2024 puts 7.8 m between the cars on the finish line.