McLaren dominates in China with double from Piastri and Norris

McLaren dominated in China with a double podium finish by Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris at the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix. Piastri capitalized on his pole position to brilliantly manage his tires, while his rivals struggled with degradation. The Australian controlled the race from start to finish, securing his third career victory in Formula 1.

His teammate Lando Norris completed the 1-2 for McLaren despite facing brake issues in the final laps. George Russell secured the final podium spot, achieving his second consecutive third-place finish in the 2025 season, though he couldn't close the gap to Norris despite the British driver's technical difficulties.

Superior tire management defines Australian victory in Shanghai

The start was crucial for the race's development. Piastri aggressively defended his lead against Russell, allowing Norris to take advantage and overtake the Mercedes driver to secure second place. The McLaren drivers worked in unison to pull away from the rest of the field.

The situation was different at Ferrari, where slight contact between Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton at the third corner caused damage to the Monegasque's front wing. Both Ferrari drivers, however, managed to overtake Max Verstappen in the early stages.

The earliest retirement was Fernando Alonso, whose Aston Martin suffered a brake failure, forcing him to retire on lap five when the rear brakes caught fire.

Pit stop strategy and tire management

Tire degradation became evident early on, with Norris reporting graining issues on the front-left tire after just eight laps.

The pit stop window opened on lap 11, leading to varied strategies across the field. The leaders pitted between laps 14 and 16, with Piastri experiencing a slower-than-expected stop (3.8 seconds). Norris temporarily lost his position to Russell after his stop but quickly regained it by overtaking him at the first corner of the following lap.

At Ferrari, team orders came into play when Hamilton was asked to let Leclerc pass, a request the British driver fulfilled with some reluctance.

Most drivers opted for a one-stop strategy, though Hamilton chose to make a second stop on lap 38 in search of better pace in the final stint, which ultimately didn't materialize.

Incidents and technical issues in the final stretch

The closing stages of the race were marked by several incidents. Yuki Tsunoda had to pit on lap 47 when his front wing spontaneously broke while chasing Carlos Sainz.

Jack Doohan received a 10-second penalty for forcing Isack Hadjar off the track, further complicating the Alpine driver's race.

The main drama unfolded when Norris reported brake issues. The McLaren pit wall advised caution, instructing him to avoid hard braking and to lift off the throttle to cool the system. This allowed Russell to close the gap in the final laps, but not enough to snatch second place.

Verstappen executed a brilliant overtake on Leclerc with three laps to go, securing fourth place after an intense battle with the Ferrari driver.

McLaren establishes its title credentials

Piastri's victory marks McLaren's 50th double podium in history, confirming that the Woking-based team has found outstanding form, making them clear favorites at this stage of the championship.

Haas, which started the season as the slowest team at the Australian Grand Prix, showed significant improvement by scoring points with both drivers: Esteban Ocon in seventh and Oliver Bearman in tenth after a spirited performance.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli maintained his eighth-place start, scoring points for the second consecutive race, while Alex Albon rounded out the top ten on his 29th birthday.

Final results of the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix

POS	DRIVER	GAP
1	Oscar PIASTRI	LEADER
2	Lando NORRIS	+9.748
3	George RUSSELL	+11.097
4	Max VERSTAPPEN	+16.656
5	Charles LECLERC	+23.211
6	Lewis HAMILTON	+25.381
7	Esteban OCON	+49.969
8	Kimi ANTONELLI	+53.748
9	Alexander ALBON	+56.321
10	Oliver BEARMAN	+61.303
11	Pierre GASLY	+67.195
12	Lance STROLL	+70.204
13	Carlos SAINZ	+76.387
14	Isack HADJAR	+78.875
15	Liam LAWSON	+81.147
16	Jack DOOHAN	+88.401
17	Gabriel BORTOLETO	1L
18	Nico HULKENBERG	1L
19	Yuki TSUNODA	1L
20	Fernando ALONSO	- -