Lewis Hamilton delivered a masterclass in Shanghai to win the first Sprint of the 2025 Formula 1 season, his maiden victory for Ferrari. After securing a surprise pole in Friday’s Sprint Qualifying, the seven-time world champion held off Max Verstappen at the start and managed his tyres superbly over the 19-lap race to take the chequered flag. It was a landmark moment for both Hamilton and Ferrari — their first-ever Sprint win — and a stunning response to a disappointing debut weekend in Melbourne just one week earlier.
Hamilton led confidently from lights out, making a Schumacher-esque Ferrari dive across Verstappen and building a steady gap while dealing with mid-race tyre graining on his SF-25. Despite the challenge, he maintained control and looked at home on a circuit where he’s won more times than any other driver. Behind him, Max Verstappen initially held second but was caught and passed by McLaren’s Oscar Piastri in the closing laps, dropping the reigning world champion to third. Mercedes’ George Russell fended off a late charge from Charles Leclerc to claim fourth, with the second Ferrari finishing just behind in fifth.
What To Know?
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Hamilton Triumphs: Lewis Hamilton led every lap to take his first victory for Ferrari and their maiden Sprint win.
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Piastri Pounces: Oscar Piastri passed Max Verstappen late on to claim second place for McLaren.
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Norris Struggles: Lando Norris recovered to eighth after an early mistake and spent most of the race stuck behind Lance Stroll.
Despite the optimism sparked by his pole position on Friday, Lewis Hamilton entered Saturday’s Sprint at the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix with plenty of question marks. After a lacklustre debut for Ferrari in Melbourne, some doubted whether the seven-time world champion could convert pole into a win — especially with Max Verstappen lining up alongside him and the ever-threatening Oscar Piastri just behind in a McLaren many expected to dominate the weekend.
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But Hamilton proved the doubters wrong in emphatic style. Reacting sharply at lights out, he covered off Verstappen into Turn 1 and quickly built a buffer, edging the Red Bull out of DRS range in the early laps. Though Verstappen briefly reeled him back in around Lap 7, Hamilton expertly managed his tyres and track position to deny any overtaking opportunity. As Verstappen’s tyres began to fade in the Ferrari’s dirty air, the Dutchman fell into the clutches of Piastri, who made his move on Lap 15. By then, Hamilton was already three seconds up the road and cruising. With Piastri unable to mount a late challenge, Hamilton powered to a statement victory — his first for Ferrari and a historic maiden Sprint win for the Scuderia.
Further down the order, Lando Norris had a tougher time. The Melbourne winner made an early error and slipped from sixth to eighth, salvaging just one point but managing to retain his lead in the Drivers’ Championship. Yuki Tsunoda impressed once again for Racing Bulls, taking sixth place with a composed drive under pressure from Hamilton’s Mercedes successor, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who crossed the line seventh in another encouraging performance.
2025 Chinese GP Sprint Race Results
2025 Chinese Grand Prix Sprint Race, 22 March 2025
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 19 | 30:39.965 | 8 |
| 2 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes | 19 | +6.889s | 7 |
| 3 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 19 | +9.804s | 6 |
| 4 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 19 | +11.592s | 5 |
| 5 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 19 | +12.190s | 4 |
| 6 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT | 19 | +22.288s | 3 |
| 7 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 19 | +23.038s | 2 |
| 8 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | 19 | +23.471s | 1 |
| 9 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 19 | +24.916s | 0 |
| 10 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 19 | +38.218s | 0 |
| 11 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams Mercedes | 19 | +39.292s | 0 |
| 12 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault | 19 | +39.649s | 0 |
| 13 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT | 19 | +42.400s | 0 |
| 14 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 19 | +44.904s | 0 |
| 15 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas Ferrari | 19 | +45.649s | 0 |
| 16 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas Ferrari | 19 | +46.182s | 0 |
| 17 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams Mercedes | 19 | +51.376s | 0 |
| 18 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 19 | +53.940s | 0 |
| 19 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 19 | +56.682s | 0 |
| 20 | 7 | Jack Doohan | Alpine Renault | 19 | +70.212s | 0 |
| Note: Jack Doohan was handed a 10-second post-race time penalty for causing a collision. | ||||||
McLaren Misfire: Norris Struggles as Pace Fades in Shanghai
After Lando Norris opened his 2025 campaign with a commanding win in Melbourne, expectations were sky-high for McLaren heading into Shanghai. In fact, George Russell even suggested that the MCL38 might hold a greater advantage over the field than Red Bull’s dominant 2023 car — a bold claim that quickly began to unravel as the weekend unfolded.
A misjudged run plan during Sprint Qualifying, coupled with an error from Norris, left the championship leader only sixth on the grid, while teammate Oscar Piastri managed to rescue third. Things went from bad to worse in the Sprint itself. Norris ran off track at Turn 6 on the opening lap while attempting to pass Russell around the outside, dropping three positions in the process. From there, he found himself stuck behind Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin for most of the race, only managing to scrape into the points with a late move to eighth.
Perhaps most surprising was McLaren’s lack of raw pace in race trim. While Hamilton thrived in clean air out front, the MCL38 struggled to make gains through the field, casting some doubt over the team’s perceived dominance and opening the door for a much tighter battle in Sunday’s Grand Prix.
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