Oscar Piastri bounced back from a disappointing Australian GP with a commanding win at the Chinese GP. Lando Norris survived brake issues to finish second, handing McLaren its 50th 1-2 finish in F1, while Mercedes’ George Russell rounded out the podium.
There was plenty of drama after the race as well, with both Ferrari drivers and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly disqualified after post-race checks.
- Piastri wins, 9.748 seconds ahead of Norris
- Leclerc, Hamilton, Gasly disqualified
- Haas, Williams score double points finish
Piastri leads McLaren 1-2
Starting from pole position, Piastri fended off an early attack from Russell to hold on to the lead. What followed was an assured drive to victory, with Piastri affirming his status as a genuine title contender this year.
“It’s been an incredible weekend from start to finish. The car’s been pretty mega the whole time. I think today was a bit of a surprise with how the tyres behaved, but I’m just super proud of the whole weekend. This is what I feel like I deserved from last week. The team did a mega job with the 1-2. I’m very, very happy,” said Piastri.
Australian GP winner Norris had to back off in the closing laps as he encountered a brake problem. Despite losing more than 6 seconds in the final two laps, he held on to finish second – 9.748 seconds behind his teammate and just 1.349 seconds ahead of Russell.
Another third place finish for Russell handed Mercedes its 300th podium finish as an F1 constructor. Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen followed him in fourth place.
Ferrari disqualified from Chinese GP
Ferrari’s two drivers – Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton – crossed the line P5 and P6, respectively. However, both drivers were disqualified after post-race checks.
Leclerc’s car was found to be underweight. Given that his car’s front wing was damaged during the race, it was fitted with a spare front wing for the check. The car weighed in at 799kg once the required two-litre fuel sample was retrieved, making it 1kg below the minimum required weight of 800kg.
Alpine’s Pierre Gasly was also disqualified for the same reason after his weighed in at 799kg.
It was a mixed weekend for Lewis Hamilton, who won the Sprint Race but was disqualified from main race due to a separate technical infringement. The rear skid block on his Ferrari was found to be under the minimum 9mm thickness required.
Haas benefitted from these disqualifications, with Esteban Ocon being promoted to P5 and Oliver Bearman to P8. Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli finished P6, followed by Williams’ Alex Albon. Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll (P9) and Williams’ Carlos Sainz (P10) completed the top 10.
2025 F1 championship standings
Norris holds on the to championship lead with 44 points. Verstappen and Russell follow him, with 36 and 35 points, respectively. As for the constructors’ championship, McLaren now holds a 21-point lead over Mercedes.
F1 will now head to the Suzuka Circuit for the Japanese GP on April 4-6.
2025 Chinese GP results
Dipan Sur
