Chinese GP driver ratings: Perfect Piastri and a humbled Hamilton at… read more
Oscar Piastri delivered a flawless performance at the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix, securing his first win of the season in dominant fashion, leading from pole to flag. The McLaren driver, who had secured his first-ever pole position, managed to hold off a strong challenge from George Russell early in the race and ultimately controlled the race after his pit stops. His performance, which was a textbook example of composure and strategy, allowed him to maintain a perfect record from pole to victory, joining an elite group of drivers who have achieved this feat.
Lando Norris, Piastri’s McLaren teammate, also showed strong pace but was unable to match his teammate’s dominance. Despite a disappointing qualifying session, where he couldn’t challenge Piastri for pole, Norris made up for it with smart overtakes on Russell to secure a second-place finish, ensuring McLaren’s strong one-two result. The 2025 season is shaping up to be a tightly contested battle between the two McLaren drivers, and Norris’ performance proved he can still be a formidable force, despite the gap in qualifying pace.
Russell, however, had another standout race, continuing his excellent start to the season. The Mercedes driver finished third, securing his second podium in as many races. He initially split the McLaren drivers in qualifying and managed to keep them under pressure throughout the race, ensuring that McLaren couldn’t dominate entirely. Russell’s consistent form has made him a key contender as the season progresses.
Max Verstappen once again showcased his ability to extract performance from an underperforming car. After dropping to sixth, Verstappen pushed his Red Bull forward, making up ground as the race went on. Although he ran out of laps to challenge for a podium finish, Verstappen’s ability to extract pace from a difficult car was evident, and he still managed to finish fourth, ahead of Charles Leclerc and George Russell, who were both disqualified post-race.
Esteban Ocon impressed with his performance, securing his best result since his podium finish in Brazil. The French driver capitalized on the car’s improved form, finishing seventh after starting 11th. A post-race promotion to fifth came after both Hamilton and Leclerc were disqualified, marking a significant achievement for Ocon.
Kimi Antonelli also had a strong race, building on his promising debut in Melbourne, but still remains a step behind the more experienced drivers like Russell. His pace was solid, and while not spectacular, his performance showed his potential in his early F1 career.
Alex Albon continued his strong start to the season with a solid drive for Williams. Albon, who has made the most of his car’s performance this year, finished in the points after a well-executed strategy and tire management. His ability to stretch tire life played a key role in his solid result.
Lance Stroll, who faced a challenging task with his tire strategy, also managed to stay competitive and finished in the points, though he benefitted from the disqualification of other drivers. Despite a bit of luck, Stroll showed resilience throughout the race.
Carlos Sainz’s race was less eventful. The Ferrari driver was only able to finish in the points due to the disqualification of others, with his performance on track not enough to challenge the top positions. His 15th-place qualifying left him with little opportunity to make significant progress.
Isack Hadjar’s strong qualifying performance was undone by a poor strategy from his team, leaving him outside the points after a two-stop strategy didn’t pay off. Similarly, Liam Lawson and Jack Doohan struggled during the race, with both drivers failing to make significant progress. Lawson, in particular, faced difficulties, having started from the pit lane in both races this season.
The race also saw a few retirements, including Fernando Alonso, who had to retire due to a brake failure, and Yuki Tsunoda, who was also let down by his team’s strategy. Tsunoda was forced to pit for a second stop after his team committed to a one-stop strategy that didn’t work out. Both drivers were among those who did not finish, marking frustrating weekends for their teams.
Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton faced disappointing races, both eventually being disqualified for their cars being underweight. Leclerc, despite a mistake early on, was still competitive but couldn’t capitalize on his pace, while Hamilton struggled with a lack of rear grip and low-speed issues. Hamilton’s frustrations continued as he finished behind his teammate, much like in the previous race, with two races now where his results were underwhelming.
In a weekend full of drama, with multiple disqualifications, Piastri stood out as the clear victor, while the disqualifications of Leclerc, Hamilton, and Gasly added further intrigue to an exciting race. The Chinese Grand Prix proved to be a significant race in shaping the early narrative of the 2025 F1 season.
