New Delhi: Lewis Hamilton won the first sprint race of the Formula One 2025 season, marking his first victory with Ferrari since joining the team at the start of the season. Oscar Piastri finished second followed by Max Verstappen in third place at the Shanghai International Circuit. Hamilton displayed a driving masterclass, dominating the end of the sprint race with the gap over Piastri increasing to seven seconds on the final lap.
The seven-time world champion started well from the beginning, defending against Red Bull’s Verstappen in the first corner and was in control of the race from there on. Hamilton maintained the lead on the opening lap and built a gap, trying to break the DRS window from Verstappen, who was relentless in his pursuit. Piastri who started P3 held behind the Red Bull car. McLaren’s other driver Lando Norris made an error on Turn 6, dropping him P6 to ninth on the first lap itself.
LEWIS HAMILTON WINS #F1SPRINT, HIS FIRST VICTORY FOR FERRARI 🤩#F1 #ChineseGP pic.twitter.com/zpgV66tEUw
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 22, 2025
The grid was in a rhythm by lap six (with the exception of a collision between Jack Doohan and Liam Lawson), with Piastri managing to push to the DRS range of Verstappen. Tyre management was a key issue in the 19-lap race, with Norris complaining about his front tyres.
By the 10th lap, Verstappen was falling back from Hamilton and the Dutch racer, with the gap at over a second, in the 14th lap reported that his tyres were dead. Piastri passed the reigning world champion with just five laps to go. Norris managed to go past Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll, with two laps remaining after a difficult race.
Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari make a fantastic recover
For Hamilton, this was more than a recovery, from a disappointing Ferrari debut at the opening weekend race in Australia last Sunday, where he finished 10th after qualifying eighth. Hamilton’s engineer Riccardo Adami praised him on the slowing-down lap post the win, calling it a “masterclass” with regards to his tyre management, whilst everyone was struggling to make the rubber last.
The British driver got the loudest cheer from a packed grandstand, after climbing out of his car on the pit straight at the end. He noted that he had woken up “feeling great” about the race. Hamilton admitted that the first race was undoubtedly a tough one, with people not considering the adjustment it takes after coming into a new team, with communication and understanding taking time.
The 40-year-old driver lashed back at his critics who came down heavily on him after the first race. Hamilton commended his engineers and mechanics for tuning the car perfectly. Hamilton also felt there was a lot of grip on the track, though pointed out that everyone was struggling today.
Piastri was satisfied with finishing second, calling it a “productive race” and felt there was a lot of learning done today. He was happy with the way he was able to get second place in the race.
Verstappen noted that despite his effort, the final eight laps were difficult and they lacked pace and noted he was finding it hard to survive in the race. Verstappen has cut the race for the championship with Norris, who won the Australian GP, by two points.
Behind Verstappen was Mercedes’ George Russell who passed Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc to finish fourth place with a dive down in the first lap itself in the inside of the hairpin at the end of the long back straight. Leclerc though was trying to make a comeback at the closing stage but Russell managed to hold him off. For Racing Bulls, Yuki Tsunoda took a brilliant sixth, managing to fend off Andrea Antonelli’s Mercedes for the entire duration of the race.
Lewis Hamilton took his first victory with Ferrari during the Chinese GP sprint race after coming to the Maranello based team at the start of the season having spent more than a decade with Mercedes. Sports Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
