By James Broughton, March 22, 2025
Lewis Hamilton secured his first victory for Ferrari, albeit in the 19-lap Sprint Race, which isn’t even recognized as an official win by the FIA—the very organization that introduced the Sprint Qualifying format. Nevertheless, a win is a win, and at least the FIA officially awards championship points for it.
Hamilton led from start to finish, making the most of the clear air ahead to bide his time, manage his tires, and eventually build a comfortable lead.
Max Verstappen initially pressured Hamilton in the opening laps, but as the race progressed, his tires began to fade. He was soon relegated to third by Oscar Piastri in the closing stages. However, Piastri was unable to mount a challenge, allowing Hamilton to cruise to a maiden victory—of sorts—for Ferrari.
Chinese GP Qualifying
With the Sprint Race out of the way, attention turned to qualifying. Oscar Piastri secured pole position, and for a moment, it seemed like a front-row lockout for McLaren, with Lando Norris lining up second. However, George Russell had other ideas, slotting his Mercedes into P2 and splitting the McLaren party in two.
Lewis Hamilton could only manage fifth, setting a lap time one-tenth of a second slower than his Sprint Qualifying effort. He attributed the drop in performance to setup changes, which sent the handling of his Ferrari back to the stone age.
One notable absence from the front of the grid was Liam “No Friends” Lawson, who struggled throughout the session and failed to climb out of 20th place—exactly where he will start on Sunday.
With just over two-tenths separating the top five drivers, the Chinese Grand Prix is shaping up to be a closely fought battle. However, I predict it will turn into a processional DRS train for the most part, with Piastri using the advantage of pole position and clean air to take a comfortable victory.
Chinese GP: Qualifying Results
1 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:30.641
2 George Russell Mercedes +0.082
3 Lando Norris McLaren +0.152
4 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.176
5 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +0.286
6 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.380
7 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls +0.438
8 Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +0.462
9 Yuki Tsunoda Racing Bulls +0.997
10 Alexander Albon Williams +1.065
11 Esteban Ocon Haas 1:31.625
12 Nico Hulkenberg Sauber 1:31.632
13 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 1:31.688
14 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 1:31.773
15 Carlos Sainz Williams 1:31.840
16 Pierre Gasly Alpine 1:31.992
17 Oliver Bearman Haas 1:32.018
18 Jack Doohan Alpine 1:32.092
19 Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber 1:32.141
20 Liam Lawson Red Bull 1:32.492
