Hamilton takes first Ferrari win in… Read more
Lewis Hamilton claimed his first victory for Ferrari in only his second race with the team, dominating the sprint race at the Chinese Grand Prix. The seven-time world champion held off Max Verstappen from Red Bull at the start and controlled the race from there. Despite Verstappen’s early challenge, Hamilton steadily increased his lead, while Verstappen struggled with tire management, eventually dropping behind McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who overtook him with five laps to go.
Piastri, who finished second, was pleased with his performance, especially his decisive move on Verstappen into Turn 14, stating he learned a lot from the race. Verstappen, on the other hand, admitted that the final laps were tough, as Red Bull lacked pace and tire management became an issue, leaving him to simply “survive” to finish third.
McLaren’s Lando Norris, who won in Melbourne, faced a difficult race. After a mistake on the first lap, which saw him drop from sixth to ninth, Norris struggled with a lack of grip from his front tires. However, he managed to salvage a point by passing Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll in the final laps. The result meant that Norris’ championship lead over Verstappen was reduced to just two points.
Hamilton’s victory marked a strong recovery after a disappointing debut with Ferrari at the season opener in Australia, where he finished outside the points. On his Chinese Grand Prix win, Hamilton credited the engineers and mechanics for fine-tuning the car, helping him find good grip on the track. He also expressed satisfaction with how the team worked to adapt to his needs after the challenges of transitioning to a new team.
While Hamilton raced to victory, Verstappen struggled with tire management and was unable to maintain the pace, with Mercedes’ George Russell passing Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc for fourth place early in the race. Leclerc tried to fight back in the closing laps, but Russell held him off. Behind them, Yuki Tsunoda impressed with a solid performance, finishing sixth for Racing Bulls, defending his position from Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli throughout the race.
Hamilton’s triumph and the mixed results for his competitors made for an exciting sprint race, with tire management and race strategy playing a crucial role. The performance also showcased the challenges faced by teams and drivers when adapting to new conditions and fine-tuning their cars to extract maximum performance.
