Oscar Piastri Triumphs at the Chinese Grand Prix
Oscar Piastri executed a meticulously managed race to secure his third career victory, clinching the Chinese Grand Prix from pole position. The final standings revealed a McLaren 1-2, with Lando Norris overcoming late-race brake complications to finish just behind his teammate, while George Russell of Mercedes rounded out the podium in third place.
As the lights extinguished to signal the start, Piastri propelled himself ahead from the grid, taking the lead from Norris and Russell. In contrast, Max Verstappen of Red Bull experienced a sluggish start from fourth, losing ground on the dusty side of the track—a remnant of earlier oil deposits from a support race. This misstep allowed the Ferrari duo of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc to pass.
In the ensuing battle for position, Leclerc suffered a light touch from Hamilton, resulting in a damaged front wing and a reported 30 points of downforce loss. Undeterred, the Monegasque displayed considerable pace, deftly navigating the challenges that followed.
As the race progressed towards its first pit stop window, Piastri had established a small two-second lead over Norris, with Russell trailing by 2.7 seconds. Meanwhile, Verstappen’s troubles continued, falling further behind in P6, 5.5 seconds back from Leclerc by lap 13.
After a swift 2.2-second pit stop to switch from medium to hard tyres at the end of lap 13, Verstappen rejoined the fray in P11, behind Hamilton, who pitted concurrently. Piastri and Russell made their stops at the conclusion of lap 14, allowing Norris and Leclerc to switch tyres in the subsequent lap. Following the pit sequence, Piastri emerged at the forefront once more, with Norris reclaiming his position after a brief challenge from Russell.
Struggling for pace, Hamilton was instructed to yield his position to Leclerc, who, despite his compromised wing, showcased remarkable speed. Meanwhile, Verstappen found himself still in sixth, trailing the Ferrari pair by three seconds.
The hard tyres proved more resilient and quicker than anticipated, prompting teams to shift their strategy towards a one-stop race. As the race entered its concluding third, Verstappen began to close the gap on Hamilton. Realising the brewing contest, Ferrari opted to pit Hamilton for fresh tyres, positioning him for a late surge.
Emerging from the pits nearly 19 seconds behind Verstappen, who was now 4.5 seconds adrift of Leclerc, Hamilton found himself with work to do. As lap 52 approached, Verstappen swiftly closed in on Leclerc and, despite the Ferrari driver’s defensive efforts, the Dutchman executed a seamless overtake around the outside of Turn 2.
At the front, Piastri celebrated a well-deserved victory, while Norris managed to fend off Russell’s advances despite troublesome brake issues in the final laps. Leclerc’s early drive secured fifth place, with Hamilton following closely. Esteban Ocon delivered a commendable performance, securing six points for Haas, while Andrea Kimi Antonelli finished eighth for Mercedes. Birthday celebrant Alex Albon brought home two points for Williams, while Haas enjoyed a double points finish through P10.
Ferrari and Alpine Disqualified
In a dramatic twist, both Ferrari drivers—Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton—alongside Pierre Gasly of Alpine, faced disqualification following a breach of technical regulations. Hamilton, who crossed the line in P6, was found to have a plank assembly thickness marginally below the permitted minimum of 9mm, specifically 0.4mm on the left side and 0.5mm on the right. The Stewards deemed these infringements as serious enough to warrant disqualification under Article 3.5.9 of the FIA Formula 1 Technical Regulations.
Leclerc and Gasly, finishing fifth and eleventh respectively, were discovered to be under the minimum weight requirement of 800kg, also subject to disqualification based on Article 4.1 of the FIA regulations.
As a result of these penalties, Esteban Ocon of Haas ascended to fifth place, followed by Andrea Kimi Antonelli in sixth for Mercedes. Alex Albon climbed to seventh for Williams, while Ollie Bearman brought further joy to Haas in P8. Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and Carlos Sainz of Williams benefited from the disqualifications, finishing ninth and tenth respectively.
