Max Verstappen ignited his title defence in commanding fashion, guiding his RB20 from pole position to victory by 22.4 seconds over team-mate Sergio Perez, also nicking a bonus point for fastest lap.
Sainz rounded out the podium a further 2.5s in arrears, the Spaniard having twice passed struggling Scuderia stablemate Charles Leclerc into Turn 1 as he fights to secure the most competitive available drive for 2025 now that Lewis Hamilton will take his place at Ferrari.