In an exhilarating and dramatic weekend at the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton marked a notable milestone with his first victory as a Ferrari driver during the Sprint race, while Oscar Piastri's performance clinched McLaren a dominant 1-2 finish in the main event.
The Sprint race on March 22, 2025, set the tone for the weekend, with Hamilton finishing in first place, closely followed by Piastri and Max Verstappen. Hamilton's success brought a hint of optimism to Ferrari, especially as they aimed to improve their competitive edge. After the race, Hamilton expressed mixed feelings about qualifying, mentioning, "Potevo essere più in alto di un paio di decimi, ma ho faticato a trovare il bilanciamento della vettura"—translated, "I could have been a couple of tenths higher, but I struggled to find the car's balance."
Qualifying the next day proved to be challenging for Ferrari. Piastri claimed pole position with an impressive time of 1:30.641. He was followed closely by George Russell in second place and Lando Norris in third. While Hamilton managed to qualify in the third row, Charles Leclerc struggled more, landing in sixth position and acknowledging that Ferrari had fallen behind their rivals. Leclerc remarked, "Non ne avevo molto di più," expressing a sense of resignation about his performance which translated to, "I didn't have much more to give."
As race day unfolded on March 23, the excitement grew with anticipation around McLaren's capability to maintain their performance. The main race began with Piastri launching from pole and maintaining a lead throughout. The situation escalated multiple times, notably at the first corner when Hamilton and Leclerc made contact, resulting in damage to Leclerc's front wing. Nevertheless, the Ferrari team quickly strategized, prompting Hamilton to allow Leclerc to pass as he was the faster driver on track. Hamilton communicated over the radio, "Fatelo avvicinare e poi lo farò passare," directing his team to let Leclerc come closer before he'd let him by.
Despite their internal struggles, McLaren showcased their strength in the 2025 season, achieving a significant 1-2 finish with Piastri claiming the victory and Norris second, both drivers demonstrating impressive speed and tactical skill on the Shanghai International Circuit. The race concluded with Piastri in first position, followed by Norris (+9.784) and Russell (+11.097). Verstappen followed in fourth, while Leclerc and Hamilton finished fifth and sixth after a challenging race.
However, the post-race excitement quickly turned sour for Ferrari as both their drivers faced disqualification. Leclerc's car was found to be under the minimum weight requirement of 800 kg, while Hamilton's suffered from excessive wear on the skid block, leading to their loss of points and contributing to a challenging start to the 2025 season.
The ramifications of the Chinese Grand Prix clarified the current standings, with Lando Norris now leading the driver standings with 44 points, followed by Verstappen with 36 and Russell with 35. Piastri sits fourth with 34 points. In the constructors' standings, McLaren leads with 78 points, considerably ahead of Mercedes with 53, while Ferrari limped along with only 17 points, tied with Williams but significantly behind their rivals.
As the Formula 1 circus moves on to the next race in Japan, the implications of this weekend's events resonate more profoundly than just points; they mark a significant transition period in the championship where traditional powerhouses like Ferrari are now facing fierce competition from a rapidly improving McLaren team. With clearly defined tensions within the Ferrari ranks and the rising capabilities of other teams, the upcoming races promise to be as thrilling as they are unpredictable.
