2025 Chinese Grand Prix: Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris Race McLaren To 1-2, Ferrari Disqualified

Oscar Piastri secured a commanding victory at the Chinese Grand Prix, successfully converting his pole position into a win. The Australian driver led teammate Lando Norris across the finish line, giving McLaren a perfect 1-2 result at Shanghai International Circuit. On the other hand, after putting up an impressive show at the Sprint race, Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc found themselves disqualified from the race for not meeting certain regulations post-race. Similarly, Alpine's Pierre Gasly was also disqualified from the race because the Alpine A25 did not meet the minimum criteria of 800 kg kerb weight post the race. 

Piastri dominated the 56-lap race from start to finish, maintaining control throughout both stints of what proved to be a largely one-stop strategy race for most competitors. He built a comfortable lead over Norris and managed it effectively to the chequered flag, launching his title campaign for the 2025 season.

Norris followed approximately three seconds behind his teammate in the closing stages while battling a developing brake issue. The McLaren pit wall instructed him to take no unnecessary risks, allowing the team to secure their dream result.

George Russell initially dropped behind at the start but made determined efforts to challenge Norris as the race progressed. He briefly reclaimed the second position during the pit stop phase, but Norris had the sufficient pace to secure P2 despite his late brake concerns.

Max Verstappen finished in fourth place, which is exactly where he started, after predicting a difficult race for Red Bull following their struggles in the Sprint. He finished several seconds ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, who had a dramatic collision on the opening lap.

Leclerc continued racing with front wing damage, opting not to replace it during his pit stop. Hamilton was the only front-runner to employ a two-stop strategy, setting several fastest laps that weren't quite enough to recover the time lost during his additional tyre change. However, both were disqualified from the race because Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari had excessive wear to its plank, while Leclerc's car was underweight (due to low fuel). 

Haas driver Esteban Ocon delivered an impressive seventh-place finish after the team's challenging start to 2025. Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli, Williams' Alex Albon, and Oliver Bearman completed the top ten, with the latter denying Alpine's Pierre Gasly and Aston Martin's Lance Stroll points-scoring positions. Gasly's car was found underweight due to low fuel too, as a result he was disqualified from the race altogether as well. 

Carlos Sainz continued his adjustment period at Williams with a 13th-place finish. Racing Bulls' Isack Hadjar came 14th after making two pit stops and becoming involved in a late incident with Jack Doohan, which resulted in a penalty for the Alpine driver.

The remaining finishers were Red Bull's Liam Lawson in 15th, followed by Doohan, Kick Sauber drivers Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg, and Racing Bulls' Yuki Tsunoda, who required a third pit stop due to front wing damage. Fernando Alonso retired early from the race due to brake problems with his Aston Martin.

The F1 circus will now head to Japan at the famous Suzuka Circuit. The 5.807 km long high-speed circuit is known for its turns, and the race will have 53 laps. Lewis Hamilton holds the lap record on this track at 1:30.983, which he achieved with its last outfit, Mercedes-AMG. Will the Brit be able to break his own record like he did at the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix, we’ll have to wait till April 6.

(Images sourced from F1.com)