The event was scheduled across 7 to 9 March and moved to a Saturday race day to accommodate the start of Ramadan on 10 March. Going into the weekend, Verstappen led the Drivers' Championship with 26 points, eight clear of teammate Sergio Pérez and eleven ahead of Sainz Jr. Red Bull Racing led the Constructors' Championship over Ferrari by 17 points and over Mercedes by 28.
A significant driver change dominated the build-up: Ferrari's Carlos Sainz Jr. was diagnosed with appendicitis and required surgery, withdrawing from the event after the second free practice session. Ferrari reserve Oliver Bearman, competing in Formula 2 at the time, stepped in from the third free practice session onwards to make his Formula One debut.
Pirelli supplied the C2, C3, and C4 compounds — the middle three in their range — designated as hard, medium, and soft respectively.
Three free practice sessions were held. Verstappen topped the opening session on Thursday afternoon ahead of Alonso and Pérez. The second session, scheduled for 20:00 local time, was delayed ten minutes while mechanics checked bolts on drain covers in the pit lane; Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin topped it ahead of George Russell and Verstappen. A red flag interrupted the third session after Zhou Guanyu of Sauber crashed into the barriers, but the session resumed after repairs. Verstappen led the third session ahead of Leclerc and Pérez.
Verstappen took pole position in qualifying on 8 March 2024. Zhou Guanyu failed to set a qualifying time but was permitted to start the race at the stewards' discretion.
The race ran for 50 laps, starting at 20:00 local time on 9 March. At the start, Lando Norris appeared to jump the start, but no penalty was issued as the FIA's standardised grid transponder system did not register an infringement — the regulations require a transponder detection for a penalty to apply.
Pierre Gasly reported gearbox problems on the formation lap and retired before the race began. Lance Stroll crashed at turn 23 on lap 7, bringing out a safety car. Verstappen won the race ahead of Pérez, with the Red Bull 1-2 completed. Leclerc finished third and took the extra point for the fastest lap.
Bearman finished seventh on his debut, scoring his first Formula One points. George Russell was sixth, Norris eighth, and Lewis Hamilton ninth after both drivers attempted an alternative tyre strategy. Kevin Magnussen of Haas accumulated 20 seconds in time penalties — a 10-second penalty for causing a collision with Alexander Albon and another 10 seconds for overtaking Yuki Tsunoda off the track. With points effectively out of reach, Haas strategically ordered Magnussen to drive as slowly as possible in the narrow sections of the circuit to hold up the pack, allowing teammate Nico Hülkenberg to claim the final point in tenth, giving Haas and Hülkenberg their first points of the season. Tsunoda received a post-race five-second penalty for an unsafe release, dropping him from a nominal top-ten finish.
Verstappen extended his Drivers' Championship lead to 15 points over Pérez. Leclerc moved to third in the standings with 28 points. Sainz, who had finished third in Bahrain, dropped to sixth due to his absence. Red Bull extended their Constructors' lead to 38 points over Ferrari, while McLaren advanced to third ahead of Mercedes.
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