HIGHLIGHTS: Watch the Sprint drama as Verstappen takes victory ahead of Hamilton and Perez in Shanghai

Max Verstappen stormed from fourth on the grid to take an impressive victory in the first F1 Sprint of 2024, amid a dramatic battle for P3 in China that saw his team mate Sergio Perez prevail.

The start of the Sprint was every bit as dramatic as the end, with pole-sitter Lando Norris coming under instant pressure from fellow Brit Lewis Hamilton, starting in second. The Mercedes driver's impressive launch would see him take the lead as Norris ran wide early on, dropping him to seventh.

READ MORE: Verstappen charges to victory over Hamilton in dramatic Shanghai Sprint

Meanwhile Verstappen, having been elevated to third after Norris' off, appeared to be having battery issues at the beginning but he soon found some pace after those issues were resolved. The reigning world champion would overtake Fernando Alonso ahead of him, before passing Hamilton for the lead.

Fans were then treated to a thrilling battle for P3 between Alonso, the Ferraris of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, Perez and also a chasing Norris. In an almighty battle Alonso would pick up a puncture in his fight with Sainz, while Perez swept through to take third.

Click play on the video above to watch all the action play out.