In the latest showdown at the Chinese Grand Prix, McLaren has once again proved its prowess on the track with outstanding performances from Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. They displayed not only exceptional race pace but also impressive tire management over the 56 laps at Shanghai. F1Technical’s experienced journalist, Balazs Szabo, is here to break down the exhilarating Sunday race.
While Lewis Hamilton stole the show in Saturday’s sprint race, it was McLaren who shone brighter in the main event. The 56-lap grand prix culminated in a McLaren one-two finish, with Oscar Piastri clinching the top spot ahead of teammate Lando Norris. This victory marks the third in Piastri’s career.
This stands as McLaren’s 191st victory, adding a third consecutive win to their season and the fourth win at this event, the last being 14 years ago, courtesy of Lewis Hamilton in 2011. Piastri and Norris not only achieved McLaren’s 50th one-two finish but also repeated their impressive result from last year’s race in Budapest.
The race strategy turned out to be an exciting surprise. The weekend’s F1 sprint in Shanghai pointed towards severe tire graining, especially on the front axle, leading many teams to prepare for a two-stop strategy. They predominantly leaned towards a medium-hard-hard tire combination, expecting it to be the winning strategy.
Starting off, 17 drivers opted for the Medium compounds for their initial stint, with Lance Stroll and Oliver Bearman choosing the Hard tires, and Liam Lawson opting for the C2, albeit starting from the pit lane due to a penalty.
Despite initial expectations favoring a two-stop approach, the actual race dynamics differed due to the drivers managing their medium tires more efficiently than seen on Saturday. Those on Mediums switched to C2s anywhere between laps 10 and 20, with Pierre Gasly making the earliest stop and Alex Albon and Nico Hulkenberg the latest.
Meanwhile, the trio starting on Hards demonstrated diverse tactics. Lawson pitted on Lap 18, Bearman on Lap 26, and Stroll remarkably extended his run to Lap 36. Gabriel Bortoleto also had a unique race, pitting at the first lap for Hards and swapping to C2s after 25 laps.
The race’s latter half put the spotlight on the effectiveness of the Hard tires, which displayed minimal degradation. Some, like Hamilton and the Racing Bulls, opted for a second stop, but many chose to push their current tires through to the end. Notably, after starting on Hard tires, Stroll and Bearman concluded their race on Mediums.
Despite Hamilton’s supremacy in the sprint, Ferrari was anticipated as a major contender. However, the Sunday race didn’t follow the same script. Early race performances hinted at McLaren’s superior race pace, although Ferrari was hot on their heels, with Charles Leclerc being the standout, despite some front wing damage that held him back behind teammate Hamilton.
Leclerc, despite a compromised car, extracted impressive performance, registering times that signaled untapped potential had he been unhindered. He managed equivalent lap times at the start and end of his stint, highlighting his consistent pace.
Meanwhile, George Russell from Mercedes took an aggressive early approach, contrasting his typical strategy. This resulted in an early tire struggle compared to the steady performances seen from the likes of Leclerc and Norris.
On the other hand, Max Verstappen played the patience game early on, nursing his mediums to avoid the sprint’s tire troubles. He lagged slightly behind the lead pack, dipping into slower lap times early in the race.
As the race shifted into the second stint, the hard compound proved surprisingly resilient, defying the weekend’s narrative that called for two stops. Most drivers experienced a performance boost partway through their final stint, underscoring the hard tires’ unexpected robustness.
F1DataAnalysis provides a detailed boxplot analysis that illustrates the subtle differences in pace among the main competitors. Piastri’s lap times were super consistent, averaging at 1m36.89s, with a closely-packed performance range. Hamilton, even with a two-stop strategy, matched McLaren’s superb pace thanks to fresh tires during his final leg.
Norris encountered a brake issue in the final laps, stretching his performance variation but still showcasing commendable skill. Verstappen’s data revealed a cautious opening stint followed by a surge in speed during the latter part, peaking with the fastest lap on the final tour.
Lastly, although Leclerc maintained a notably steady pace throughout, his first stint prevented him from scaling up his speed as dramatically as some of his rivals in the race’s closing stages. The data offered a clear testament to McLaren’s tactical and performance superiority during this enthralling Chinese Grand Prix.
