Lewis Hamilton secured his maiden win for Ferrari in just his second race with the team, delivering a commanding performance in the sprint at the Chinese Grand Prix.
The seven-time world champion held off an early challenge from Red Bull’s Max Verstappen at the first corner before establishing control over the race. Verstappen, unable to keep pace, eventually fell into the grasp of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who overtook the reigning champion with five laps to go.
McLaren’s Lando Norris, after a tough race, managed to claim the final point by passing Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin with two laps remaining.
Hamilton’s triumph marked a strong comeback after a disappointing Ferrari debut in Australia, where he started eighth and finished tenth. His race engineer, Riccardo Adami, praised his “masterclass in tyre management” on a day when most drivers struggled with degradation.
The British driver soaked in the cheers from packed grandstands as he celebrated his victory.
“I woke up feeling great today,” Hamilton said. “The first race was tough, and I think many underestimated the challenge of adapting to a new team. There’s a steep learning curve with communication and setup, but the team did a fantastic job fine-tuning the car. The grip on this new tarmac is amazing, but everyone struggled with tyre wear.”
Verstappen initially appeared to challenge Hamilton but began losing ground after eight laps. Piastri, showing patience and precision, executed a clean overtake at Turn 14 on lap 14.
“It was a strong sprint,” Piastri said. “Finishing second is great, but more importantly, I learned a lot. We weren’t quite at Lewis’ pace, but we have ideas to improve.”
Verstappen admitted tyre issues hampered his race: “I tried to fight, but in the last eight laps, we just lacked pace. Managing the tyres was tough, but I’ll take P3.”
Norris, who won in Melbourne, dropped from sixth to ninth on the opening lap after misjudging his braking into Turn Six. Struggling with grip throughout, he salvaged a point by overtaking Stroll late in the race. His championship lead over Verstappen has now been cut to two points.
“I overcooked it into Turn Six—my mistake,” Norris admitted. “After that, I had no pace and struggled with front tyre graining. It’s my worst nightmare.”
Behind the top three, Mercedes’ George Russell overtook Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc for fourth on the opening lap, with Leclerc attempting but failing to reclaim the position later. Racing Bulls’ Yuki Tsunoda impressed with a strong sixth-place finish, holding off Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli throughout the race.
Source: BBC
BDST: 1203 HRS, MAR 22, 2025
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