Oscar Piastri wins the 2025 Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix

Oscar Piastri clinched victory at the 2025 Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix with remarkable ease. His teammate Lando Norris remarkably retained second place, even after navigating a final lap devoid of brakes!

In this second Grand Prix of the season, Oscar Piastri takes to the grid from pole position, having clinched his inaugural career pole during the qualifying session the previous day. He finds himself alongside George Russell on the front row, with Lando Norris and Max Verstappen occupying the second row. The quartet of drivers leading the pack is set to deliver an exhilarating first corner.

The two Ferraris trail behind, occupying the fifth and sixth spots on the grid. Charles Leclerc has faced considerable challenges on this circuit since the weekend commenced, and although Lewis Hamilton triumphed in the season’s inaugural sprint, the British driver did not exhibit the same level of brilliance during the main qualifying session.

Isack Hadjar is trailing closely behind the SF-25s. A commendable seventh place for the newcomer, who has outpaced his teammate, Yuki Tsunoda, garnering praise from Helmut Marko.

Esteban Ocon had a commendable outing this Saturday, securing 11th place for his Haas, positioned just behind Alexander Albon and ahead of Nico Hulkenberg. Pierre Gasly faced a more challenging situation, beginning the race from 16th position on the grid.

Liam Lawson, positioned 20th and facing significant challenges behind the wheel of the RB21, commenced his race from the pit lane following adjustments to various components of his vehicle.

Today, we are experiencing a significant rise in temperatures, with air readings surpassing 27°C and ground temperatures soaring to 38°C. This situation is likely to intensify tyre degradation and graining, which are the primary challenges of the race in Shanghai. The majority of drivers have chosen to commence the race on medium tires, while only Liam Lawson, Lance Stroll, and Oliver Bearman have decided to go with hard tires.

Initially, Piastri maintained his lead and effectively shut down any advances from Russell, while Lando Norris executed a commendable start, overtaking the Mercedes driver on the outside. Verstappen found himself surpassed by the two Ferraris, with the SF-25s seemingly making contact, resulting in damage to Leclerc’s front wing.

The Monegasque, with his chilly tires, skidded onto the curb and collided with the rear tire of his teammate. Hadjar has slipped down two positions, while Ocon and Gasly have made gains, now sitting in tenth and thirteenth place respectively.

Fernando Alonso is decelerating on the circuit; he seems unable to apply the brakes effectively. The Spaniard makes his way to the pits and retires for the second time this season. In front, the two McLarens find themselves over a second adrift of Russell, who occupies third place. In spite of the contact, the Ferraris maintain their speed alongside the frontrunners.

Certain drivers have begun to mention issues with tyre graining, including Hamilton and Norris. Verstappen, now in sixth place, has been overtaken by Leclerc and finds himself over three seconds adrift of the Monegasque driver.

During the tenth lap, Pierre Gasly made the initial move to pit for hard tires, rejoining the race in second to last position. Trailing behind him were Doohan, Tsunoda, and Ocon, followed closely by Hadjar and Antonelli. As Leclerc pressed on with a compromised front wing, he appeared unfazed, maintaining a commendable pace that surely provided ample food for thought for the aerodynamic engineers.

Hamilton and Verstappen made their pit stops, with the seven-time world champion rejoining the fray amidst a throng of cars. The leader of the race came to a halt, closely trailed by Russell, while the Australian managed to secure a fourth-place finish. Simultaneously, Ocon executed an audacious manoeuvre, overtaking Antonelli on the inside with his wheels grazing the grass.

Norris made his pit stop, re-emerging behind Russell, and found himself alongside Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin. He succeeded in overtaking the Canadian a few corners later, albeit at the cost of some time lost. The race lead was passed to Alexander Albon, who was simultaneously marking his birthday celebrations. Norris successfully reclaimed the upper hand over Russell, aided by DRS, as Piastri surged back into the lead once more. Ferrari requested Hamilton to exchange places with his teammate, given that Leclerc remained quite rapid and had not replaced his damaged wing during the pit stop.

Piastri is maintaining a composed approach to his race, trailing his teammate by four seconds in second place. At the 23rd lap, the leading ten drivers are Piastri, Norris, Russell, Leclerc, Hamilton, Verstappen, Stroll, Bearman, Tsunoda, and Ocon. Bearman and Stroll have yet to make their pit stops, having commenced the race on hard tires. Hamilton has already been sidelined by his teammate. Leclerc has narrowed the gap to Russell, now equipped with DRS, and is poised to launch an assault on the Mercedes driver shortly.

On the French side, Ocon ascended to ninth position by the moment Bearman made his pit stop. Hadjar finished in 11th place, while Gasly secured 13th. McLaren requested that Norris up his pace slightly, but the British driver declined, preferring to avoid the dirty air generated by his teammate in front. Leclerc struggled to overtake Russell and decided to ease off slightly, resulting in a gap of two seconds to the Silver Arrow. Bearman commenced his advance up the pitch on his newly fitted medium tires. He overtook Doohan to secure 15th position.

Isack Hadjar is once again in the thick of it, as McLaren contemplates the strategy of a single pit stop. The Frenchman finds himself in 16th place. The essence of the Australian Grand Prix appears to linger over the Chinese circuit, as Norris’ engineer reveals a slight possibility of rain in the closing laps of the race. Verstappen, who has been rather quiet throughout the race, makes a notable return to the fray, securing a sixth-place finish. Hamilton subsequently makes a second pit stop to switch to a fresh set of medium tires. Following a skirmish that unfolds over several corners, Bearman successfully overtakes Gasly on the outside of Turn 1. The British driver currently sits in tenth place, while both Haas drivers have secured points!

As we approach the final 20 laps of this Grand Prix, uncertainty lingers regarding the ultimate strategy to be employed. The leading five seem determined to adopt a one-stop strategy, yet Hamilton’s impressive speed on his medium tires, as he records a series of fastest laps, may raise some questions for the top teams. Max Verstappen is narrowing the gap to Leclerc, now trailing the Ferrari driver by less than four seconds.

As Tsunoda, in 14th place, closed in on Carlos Sainz, it seemed that the front wing flaps of the Racing Bulls had become detached at the mounting point. The Japanese driver seemed to lose all momentum, allowing competitors to pass him effortlessly, ultimately pitting and re-emerging in last place. As the race approached its final stages, with under 10 laps to go, the leading pack featured Piastri, Norris, Russell, Leclerc, Verstappen, Hamilton, Ocon, Antonelli, Albon, and Bearman.

Norris expressed his concerns regarding the brake pedal, noting that it seemed to be becoming “longer and longer.” His engineer informed him that the situation was unlikely to get any better, and he would need to endure until the conclusion of the Grand Prix. No alterations had occurred among the leading five; it was now simply a question of tyre management. Verstappen had narrowed the distance to a mere 2.2 seconds behind Leclerc. Following a clash between Hadjar and Doohan, an incident was recorded, resulting in the Australian being handed a 10-second penalty.

As the laps dwindle down, Verstappen finds himself firmly in Leclerc’s rearview mirrors. Norris continues to grapple with significant brake issues, with his team advising him to take it easy and accept a second-place finish. Verstappen outmanoeuvres Leclerc as they exit Turn 3, securing fourth place. As the race approaches its conclusion with just two laps remaining, McLaren has signalled that his brake pedal predicament is reaching a “critical” stage, resulting in a significant loss of time. Trailing behind him, Russell finds himself six seconds adrift. Norris finds himself without brakes, while the Mercedes driver mounts a robust challenge. However, Norris manages to cling to second place, crossing the finish line of the Grand Prix in a rather leisurely fashion!

In a thrilling conclusion to the 2025 F1 Chinese Grand Prix, Oscar Piastri emerged victorious, finishing ahead of his teammate Lando Norris and George Russell. Verstappen, Leclerc, Hamilton, Ocon, Antonelli, Albon, and Bearman all crossed the line in second place. Haas has commenced its points tally with an impressive double top-10 finish. Hadjar crossed the line in 14th place, while Gasly secured 11th.