The Chinese GP delivered McLaren’s second win of the season and the first for Oscar Piastri after his disappointment at home in Australia. A 1-2 finish for the papaya team, which is becoming an increasingly serious threat to its rivals. Joining them on the podium was a rock-solid Russell once again, followed by Max Verstappen. Ferrari had a disastrous race, with both cars disqualified, handing Carlos Sainz his first point for Williams. Here are the key moments of the day!
McLaren on Top: A World Title Battle Between Norris and Piastri?
In China, McLaren once again did whatever it wanted with the car. A slight slip-up in the Sprint, but Woking’s team delivered when it mattered in the main race. Oscar Piastri redeemed himself after his home GP disappointment and comfortably secured the win.
Backing him up was Lando Norris, who kept a safe distance without ever threatening the Australian and ensured Russell remained at bay. The only scare came towards the end when he reported an issue with the brake pedal, but he managed to finish safely.
McLaren now sits 21 points ahead of Mercedes, their closest competitor, with a total of 78 points in two races. Norris remains at the top of the drivers’ standings. So far, the team has left only scraps for its rivals. Could the title fight soon become an internal battle within McLaren?
Russell “Mosquito” and Verstappen’s Comeback
Lando Norris’ closest title challengers at the moment are George Russell and Max Verstappen. The Brit, just like in Australia, stayed close, prevented McLaren from running away, drove a clean race, defended against a threatening Leclerc, and ultimately secured his second consecutive podium.
Max Verstappen also put up a fight, but his race was unusual. He had a poor start, getting passed by both Ferraris, and struggled to find pace for most of the race. However, in the final laps, he suddenly came alive and overtook Charles Leclerc to reclaim fourth place. What do we make of this Red Bull performance?
Double Disqualification for Ferrari in China: First Time Since ’99
A disastrous Sunday for Ferrari, hitting rock bottom in China. Unforgivable errors cost the team a solid haul of points after an almost pointless weekend in Australia. In the end, Leclerc’s solid performance meant nothing, possibly affected by a damaged front wing.
The hammer blow came after the race: Ferrari was hit with a double disqualification for the first time since 1999. Car #16 was found to be 1kg underweight, while car #44 had excessive skid wear. As a result, Ferrari drops to fifth in the constructors’ standings and sees its rivals pulling away. An immediate reaction is now crucial to prevent the season from slipping away.
Meanwhile, Haas celebrated with P5 and P8 finishes, Kimi Antonelli took P6 despite damage from Charles Leclerc’s lost endplate, Stroll finished P9, and both Williams cars made it into the points—Alex Albon in P7 on his birthday, and Carlos Sainz in P10, scoring his first point for the team.
Liam Lawson – Ultimatum Already? Yuki Tsunoda and Franco Colapinto on Standby
Red Bull appears to have called for an urgent meeting in Milton Keynes in the coming days. The reason? The team is reportedly dissatisfied with Liam Lawson’s performance and is already considering a replacement.
The New Zealander has struggled badly in qualifying, finishing 18th in Australia and dead last in both the Sprint and the GP in China. Despite making up a few places in the race, he has yet to score points.
Red Bull seems eager to finally find a worthy teammate for Max Verstappen, so much so that an immediate replacement for Lawson is on the table. The most likely scenario is that Liam Lawson will return to Racing Bulls as early as Japan, with Yuki Tsunoda taking his seat.
However, another option has emerged: rumors suggest Red Bull might bring in Franco Colapinto from Alpine to put him in the RB seat, potentially ending Lawson’s F1 career prematurely.
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