Oscar Piastri delivered an impressive performance to lead a McLaren one-two finish at the Chinese Grand Prix, as teammate Lando Norris came in right behind him with George Russell securing third for Mercedes.
With this victory, Piastri confidently grabbed his second win for McLaren in as many starts this season, following Norris’s masterful wet-weather handling in Melbourne just a week ago. Starting from pole, Piastri only briefly relinquished his lead during the pit stops but otherwise kept Norris at a close yet controlled distance, maintaining a four-second buffer.
Norris faced some tension toward the race’s end as his brakes began to lose efficiency. Nonetheless, he managed to keep Russell at a safe distance, preserving his spot. Charles Leclerc had a standout drive despite a damaged front wing on his Ferrari, even outperforming teammate Lewis Hamilton, who dutifully stepped aside.
However, in a post-race twist, both Leclerc and Hamilton, along with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, were disqualified due to separate technical problems. Leclerc had surrendered fourth place to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen with four laps remaining as Verstappen found extra speed late in his run.
Hamilton, fresh from a superb win in the Saturday sprint, initially resisted but eventually complied with team orders to let Leclerc pass, subsequently fading back. While Hamilton opted for a second pit stop, the rest of the leaders rolled the dice on a single stint with hard tires.
Following this race, Norris sits atop the championship leaderboard, eight points ahead of Verstappen. Russell trails closely, with Piastri just a point behind him. Piastri’s masterclass in racing was well-illustrated by fending off Russell at the start by pushing him to the inside line. This clever maneuver let Norris slip past Russell by the conclusion of Turn One’s sweeping bends.
Once both McLaren drivers secured the top two spots, they settled into a commanding race rhythm. The only snag came during the pits when Russell and Piastri stopped on the same lap, preceding Norris by a single lap. Yet, as Norris exited the pits, he found himself in a tight spots behind Russell and Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin, which had stayed out longer.
However, Norris quickly outmaneuvered Russell after a deft move into Turn One, reclaiming second place as Russell confronted Stroll. For about ten laps, Russell clung to Norris, but eventually, McLaren signaled Piastri to speed up, allowing his teammate some breathing room in case further pit stops loomed.
Once it became evident the hard tires could last the distance, the race order solidified, albeit with Norris having to nurse failing brakes in the closing stretches. Team radio cautioned him to avoid hard braking to guard his precious championship lead, underscoring, “18 points is better than none.”
Norris faced his toughest test in the last laps as his comfortable lead evaporated to just a single second when Russell mounted a final charge, but Norris skillfully held on to secure his second place.
