Lewis Hamilton celebrated his first victory as a Ferrari driver with a dominant performance in the sprint race at the Chinese Grand Prix, held on March 22, 2025. This thrilling 19-lap race saw Hamilton qualify in pole position and maintain his lead from start to finish, marking a significant turning point in his early days with the team.
Following a challenging start to the season with a tenth-place finish at the wet Australian Grand Prix, Hamilton expressed his sheer delight and surprise at his new car’s performance in Shanghai. "I didn’t expect that result," he confessed, adding, "but so, so happy and so proud. I think obviously the last race was a disaster for us. And clearly, we knew that there was more performance in the car; we just weren’t able to extract it." Hamilton confirmed that the experience he gained was vital as he navigated the hurdles of acclimatizing to a new team.
The race began with Hamilton fending off fierce competition from old rival Max Verstappen. For the first ten laps, both drivers battled fiercely until Verstappen began experiencing front tire issues, forcing him to shift his focus toward managing his position against Oscar Piastri. By lap 15, Piastri managed to overtake Verstappen for second place, finishing the race 6.8 seconds behind Hamilton, who took the victory.
Hamilton attributed his success to the meticulous efforts of his team, stating, "From Lap 1 here this weekend, I've been feeling on it. The engineers have done a great job, and the mechanics have done a great job to really fine-tune the car." He acknowledged the challenges he faced entering a new team, mentioning the critics who underestimated the difficulty of adapting to Ferrari's setup. "The amount of critics and people I've heard yapping along the way just clearly not understanding... it’s felt great to come here and feel comfortable in the car," he remarked.
Reflecting on the race weekend, Hamilton noted that Saturday’s sprint race was his first experience driving the Ferrari in dry conditions after pre-season testing had left gaps in his race simulations. He shared, "Tomorrow will be kind of my first long-ish run or race run, and Sunday will be my first proper race run in the dry with this car." The anticipation for the following full-length grand prix was clear as he expressed excitement over the improvements his team had made, underscoring a significant turnaround from Australia to Shanghai.
Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc secured a fourth-place grid position after struggling to match Hamilton’s pace, admitting, "I’ve struggled on my side of the garage; from the beginning, I felt like I was a step back compared to Lewis". Despite his challenges, Leclerc remained hopeful about their combined performance in the upcoming race. "Lewis is on pole, and hopefully, we can have a good race together tomorrow," he added.
Lando Norris, however, faced setbacks during his run. The McLaren driver was unusually fast through the first sectors but ultimately finished in sixth place after making a mistake at Turn 14 that cost him momentum. This incident highlighted the narrow margins and intense competition that marked the sprint event. Meanwhile, George Russell of Mercedes used a clever move at Turn 14 to overtake Leclerc early in the race, eventually finishing in fourth position.
As the teams prepare for the full-length race on Sunday, Hamilton’s victory and newfound confidence could signal a dramatic shift in the competitive landscape of the season, especially with a strong McLaren line-up looking for domination following their success in Melbourne.
Hamilton’s win in the sprint race not only adds momentum for him personally but also instills fresh optimism within the Ferrari team as they aim to recover from their struggles in Australia. With eight points secured from the sprint victory, Hamilton looks towards the future, where he hopes to build on this performance in the main race. "We made some great changes; the team did a fantastic job through the break to get the car ready. I can't believe we got a pole in the sprint," he concluded, showing his characteristic determination and excitement for what lies ahead.
