March 25, 2025, SHANGHAI: Oscar Piastri dominated the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday, leading from pole to secure a McLaren one-two finish with Lando Norris in second.
George Russell finished third in a Mercedes, while Red Bull’s world champion Max Verstappen made an exciting late pass on Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc to take fourth. Lewis Hamilton placed sixth, behind his teammate, following his victory in Saturday’s sprint race in Shanghai, where Piastri had finished second.
"It’s been an incredible weekend, the car has been pretty mega," said Piastri, who had been second in the season opener in Melbourne before a late spin. "The hard tyres worked much better than expected, so going all the way to the end was a pleasant surprise."
Norris, facing a late brake issue, was unable to challenge his teammate for the win and finished second. He remains the championship leader with 44 points, ahead of Verstappen on 36.
Russell, starting second, aimed to grab the lead but was squeezed by Piastri on the long first corner, allowing Norris to take second. Both Ferraris passed Verstappen on the same corner, dropping the world champion from fourth to sixth.
Leclerc lost part of his front wing after brushing Hamilton’s rear wheel, though it didn’t affect his performance. Hamilton pitted first for new tyres on lap 14, with the rest of the field following suit. Russell overtook Norris in the pit sequence, but McLaren’s pace saw Norris surge back ahead with DRS assistance.
Hamilton began to struggle on the hard tyres, letting Norris pass on lap 21, which allowed Leclerc to challenge Russell. On lap 38, Hamilton had to pit again, dropping him behind Verstappen.
The front five stayed out, hoping the hard tyres would last until the end of the 56-lap race. Verstappen, having conserved his tyres, made a late charge to pass Leclerc at the start of lap 54.
Haas had both cars in the points, with Esteban Ocon finishing seventh and rookie Ollie Bearman 10th. Other points scorers included Mercedes teenager Kimi Antonelli in eighth and Alex Albon, ninth in his Williams, on his 29th birthday.