Photo credit: www.autosport.com
Oscar Piastri Triumphs at the Chinese Grand Prix
Oscar Piastri claimed victory at the Chinese Grand Prix, utilizing his pole position advantage to navigate through a race marked by tyre challenges for many competitors in the Formula 1 field. His strategic management allowed him to secure his third career win, with teammate Lando Norris finishing closely behind despite grappling with increasing brake issues towards the end.
George Russell finished third, unable to close the gap to Norris even as the latter’s pace waned. This solidifies Russell’s position with two consecutive third-place finishes to kick off the 2025 season. The race featured McLaren’s impressive record, marking their 50th 1-2 finish, firmly establishing them as the current team to beat.
Max Verstappen showcased a commendable drive for Red Bull, finishing fourth, followed by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. After a rough start to the season with a disappointing performance in Australia, Haas managed a double points finish, with Esteban Ocon in seventh and a determined Oliver Bearman in tenth.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli maintained his eighth-place position, securing points in back-to-back races, while Alex Albon represented Williams in ninth.
The race commenced with Piastri edging out Russell, which enabled Norris to overtake and secure second position as the McLaren duo swiftly established a lead. Ferrari’s situation, however, took a hit early on when Leclerc collided with Hamilton, leading to wing damage despite both drivers managing to pass Verstappen at the start.
As the race progressed, Norris began to experience graining on the troublesome left-front tyre within the first few laps, while Piastri benefitted from clean air. The first round of pit stops started on lap 11, where Leclerc faced a strategic disagreement with his team. Both Hamilton and Verstappen made their stops on lap 14, with Piastri following a lap later, encountering a slower stop that lasted 3.8 seconds. Norris came in a lap after Piastri and regained his place ahead of Russell after making an earlier pit stop.
Remarkably, on his birthday, Albon momentarily took the lead by staying out longer than the others, though this was short-lived as he quickly fell back into the pack’s contention. Tensions rose at Ferrari as Hamilton resisted calls to allow Leclerc to pass, but he eventually complied at the start of lap 21.
McLaren maintained their strategy effectively, with Piastri dictating the pace for Norris, allowing them to distance themselves from Russell. As other competitors opted for two stops, the leaders capitalized on staying out on hard compound tyres. Verstappen began to charge through the field, managing to pass Leclerc with just three laps remaining.
Piastri crossed the finish line first, with Norris holding on to second place despite losing time to Russell in the final lap. Fernando Alonso’s race concluded prematurely due to mechanical failure, as he retired on lap four when his Aston Martin’s brakes gave way.
Chinese Grand Prix Results
Source
www.autosport.com