Oscar Piastri secured a commanding victory at the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday, leading a McLaren one-two finish with teammate Lando Norris, in a race that also saw three drivers, including Lewis Hamilton, disqualified.
Piastri, who started from pole position, delivered a near-flawless performance in Shanghai, maintaining control throughout the race and crossing the finish line nearly 10 seconds ahead of Norris. The win marks the Australian’s third career Formula 1 Grand Prix triumph and strengthens McLaren’s bid to challenge Red Bull for the championship this season.
McLaren’s pace was unmatched in China, with Piastri holding his lead for the majority of the race, only relinquishing it briefly during pit stops. His strong performance saw him comfortably fend off any competition.
“It’s been an incredible weekend, the car has been pretty mega,” Piastri said after the race. “Today was a surprise with how the tyres behaved, but I’m very happy with the outcome. The hard tyre lasted longer than expected, which worked in our favor.”
The result means McLaren has now won both races of the 2025 season, following Norris’ victory in Australia last week.
Norris faced challenges during the race, including brake issues and pressure from Mercedes’ George Russell. Despite these obstacles, he secured second place, finishing ahead of Russell, who took third, and reigning world champion Max Verstappen, who settled for fourth.
“The start went as I hoped, but I lost out to George in the pit stops,” Norris admitted. “Oscar drove brilliantly and deserved the win. It’s great points for the team with a 1-2 finish. I had some brake issues towards the end, which was worrying, but we managed to hold on.”
Hamilton, who had claimed a historic first win for Ferrari in Saturday’s sprint race, initially finished sixth in the main event, while his teammate Charles Leclerc ended in fifth. However, post-race inspections by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) led to the disqualification of Hamilton, Leclerc, and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly.
The FIA ruled that the plank underneath Hamilton’s car was below the minimum thickness requirement, leading to his exclusion from the results and a loss of crucial championship points. Leclerc and Gasly were also disqualified due to their cars being underweight.
Ferrari later issued a statement, saying, “There was no intention to gain any advantage, and we will learn from what happened today.”
With these developments, Norris maintains his lead in the drivers’ championship standings, now eight points ahead of Verstappen. Piastri moves up to fourth, just 10 points behind his teammate.
As the season progresses, the battle for the championship looks set to be a thrilling contest, with McLaren emerging as a strong contender against Red Bull.
Before the race, the paddock paid tribute to former team owner Eddie Jordan, who passed away earlier in the week. Jordan was instrumental in bringing seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher into Formula 1, leaving behind a lasting legacy in the sport.
