Shanghai hosted the second race of the 2025 F1 season. Here are the results and a recap of what happened in the Chinese GP.
First lap
Everyone starts on medium tires except for Stroll, Bearman, and Lawson, who opt for hards. Oscar Piastri holds the lead, with Norris securing a McLaren 1-2. Both Ferraris manage to pass Verstappen at the start.
There is contact between Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, with the Monegasque damaging his front wing.
First half of the race
Brake issues for Fernando Alonso on lap 4 force the Spaniard to retire after just a few kilometers. Some drivers begin worrying about tire wear following the degradation seen in the Sprint Race.
On lap 8, Hamilton complains about graining, while Leclerc struggles with a loss of downforce due to his damaged front wing.
Lap 12 sees the first pit stops, with all drivers switching to hard tires. The undercut proves to be very powerful.
Hamilton pits on lap 14, as does Verstappen. The undercut doesn’t work for Ferrari, with Hamilton getting stuck behind Lawson. Norris and Leclerc attempt to extend their stints.
Ferrari decides not to change Leclerc’s front wing despite the damage from the first lap.
Norris retakes his position from Russell, while Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton engage in a battle.
On lap 20, Ferrari asks their drivers to swap positions, but Hamilton wants Leclerc to be closer first.
Despite his damaged front wing, Leclerc continues to close in on George Russell.
Leclerc gets ever closer to Russell but is unable to overtake him.
Second half of the race
A stalemate as teams await the second pit stop.
It remains to be seen if anyone will attempt a one-stop strategy.
Norris is warned that some rain might arrive in the final laps.
Hamilton pits on lap 38 for a fresh set of hard tires.
Bearman puts in an impressive drive, climbing up to P10.
Ferrari’s decision to pit Hamilton hasn’t paid off so far.
Doohan receives a ten-second penalty for forcing Hadjar off track.
With three laps to go, Max Verstappen closes in on Charles Leclerc.
The Dutchman overtakes Leclerc, who deserves praise for his performance despite his damaged front wing.
Final lap.
Oscar Piastri wins the Chinese GP, followed by Norris and Russell. The Ferrari SF-25 cars of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finish only P5 and P6.
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