Oscar Piastri raised the stakes in his championship battle with Lando Norris by securing a dominant victory at the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday.
Norris won last weekend’s opening round in Australia, with Piastri only ninth after he slipped off the road in the rain when narrowly trailing his McLaren team-mate, but it was roles reversed in Shanghai.
At the second round of the season in Shanghai, Piastri led from start to finish to lead home a one-two finish. Norris managed a late brake issue to finish second, with George Russell in third
Max Verstappen took fourth spot, one place ahead of Charles Leclerc - who had superior pace to Ferrari teammate and sprint race winner Lewis Hamilton, who finished a disappointing sixth. British teenager Ollie Bearman secured his first point of the 2025 season as he finished 10th for Haas.
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F1 CHINESE GRAND PRIX - LATEST UPDATES
- Oscar Piastri wins Chinese GP; Norris 2nd; Rusell 3rd
- CLICK here for the top-10 in Shanghai
- SWAP! Ferrari tell Hamilton to give way to teammate Leclerc (Lap 21/56)
- OUT! Fernando Alonso retires with his brakes on fire (Lap 6/56)
- START! Norris overtakes Russell while both Ferraris touch (Lap 1/56)
TOP-10 IN CHINESE GP
08:42
,
Kieran Jackson
1. Oscar Piastri
2. Lando Norris
3. George Russell
4. Max Verstappen
5. Charles Leclerc
6. Lewis Hamilton
7. Esteban Ocon
8. Kimi Antonelli
9. Alex Albon
10. Ollie Bearman
Oscar Piastri wins the Chinese Grand Prix!
08:35
,
Kieran Jackson
A third grand prix win in F1 for Oscar Piastri, who takes a superb victory in Shanghai!
Lando Norris just about brings his car home despite his brake issue, as McLaren claim a one-two!
George Russell on the podium again for third place!
4-10: Verstappen, Leclerc, Hamilton, Ocon, Antonelli, Albon, Bearman
Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur:
10:07
,
Kieran Jackson
“Very strange, one side of the garage OK. We can take the positive with Charles.
“I don’t want to blame something, we have to do a better job. The tyres are on the edge.
On Lewis’s second stop: “The deg at one stage was important, if everyone pitted it would’ve made sense.”
Charles Leclerc after finishing P5:
09:54
On lap 1 clash with Hamilton: “Honestly, it’s not Lewis’s fault at all - I was around the inside trying to position the car for turn 3, Lewis didn’t know I was there - I didn’t think Lewis would come back to the apex.
“It’s a racing incident, it’s not the first of last time it will happen. Shame it happened between the two red cars.
“We didn’t want to take the eight seconds to change the wing, didn’t want to take that risk. I wanted to maximise the result, I think we did well.”
F1 driver standings after Chinese Grand Prix
09:42
,
Kieran Jackson
1. Lando Norris – 44 points
2. Max Verstappen – 36 points
3. George Russell – 35 points
4. Oscar Piastri – 34 points
5. Charles Leclerc – 18 points
6. Kimi Antonelli – 18 points
7. Lewis Hamilton – 17 points
8. Alex Albon – 12 points
9. Lance Stroll – 8 points
10. Nico Hulkenberg – 6 points
11. Esteban Ocon – 6 points
12. Yuki Tsunoda – 3 points
13. Ollie Bearman – 1 point
14. Pierre Gasly – 0 points
15. Carlos Sainz – 0 points
16. Isack Hadjar – 0 points
17. Jack Doohan – 0 points
18. Gabriel Bortoleto – 0 points
19. Yuki Tsunoda – 0 points
20. Fernando Alonso – 0 points
Time for the podium!
09:26
,
Kieran Jackson
It’s the Australian and British national anthems on the podium in China as Oscar Piastri celebrates his victory for McLaren!
And that’s Piastri’s 28th consecutive points-finish too... some record! He’s in his title fight!
Oscar Piastri on his China GP win:
08:58
,
Kieran Jackson
“It’s been an incredible weekend, the car has been pretty mega – today was a bit of a surprise with the tyres, proud of the whole weekend. This is what I feel like I deserved form last week, team did a mega job, one-two.
“To go all the way to the end was a surprise, but a happy surprise.
“There’s a few too many Lewis Hamilton fans but we’ll convert you next year!”
Lando Norris on team radio:
08:52
,
Kieran Jackson
“Yeah well done boys, beautiful one-two!”
Oscar Piastri on team radio:
08:50
,
Kieran Jackson
“Mega job guys, mega job. Car was very lovely, good work with reacting on the deg – great team weekend, that is one satisfying weekend!”
"That is one satisfying weekend!"
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) March 23, 2025
Oscar Piastri reacts to winning the Chinese Grand Prix pic.twitter.com/sEXj01TlT8
George Russell after finishing P3:
08:49
,
Kieran Jackson
“It’s a great result finishing P3… great race, we knew McLaren were a smidge quicker than us, few crucial points.
“I felt from early on that a one-stop was possible, easier than we all anticipated – probably one of my best results in Formula 1 in terms of overall performance, pleased to be on the podium.
“It was a bit dicey with Lando but from there, straightforward race.”
"Probably one of my best weekends in Formula 1"
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) March 23, 2025
George Russell reflects on a strong weekend pic.twitter.com/zIjddlFWzg
Lando Norris on his 2nd place:
09:09
,
Kieran Jackson
“A few fun moments – the start I was hoping for that but then George got me on the pit stops, but our pace was a lot better on the second stint. Oscar drove well, he was quick the whole race.
“I’m happy with second, it’s good points, one-two for the team. We’re very happy.
On brake issue: “It was scary, my worst nightmare! I was losing two, three four seconds, bit scared but we survived. Satisfied, great result!”
Lando Norris brake issue critical (Lap 55/56)
08:33
,
Kieran Jackson
Two laps left and Norris is being told to bring his car home, given a major issue with his brakes!
Still, it’s looking good for McLaren...
Max Verstappen passes Charles Leclerc (Lap 53/56)
08:30
,
Kieran Jackson
Brilliant battle!
Verstappen has super pace suddenly and takes fourth place around the outside of turn 1, despite Leclerc’s best efforts for over a lap!
Verstappen P4!
Norris has a brake issue (Lap 52/56)
08:28
A lot of communications between Norris and his engineer Will Joseph over his brake pedal.
There’s an issue, but it should be manageable...
TOP-10 WITH 8 LAPS TO GO (Lap 48/56)
08:23
,
Kieran Jackson
1. Piastri
2. Norris
3. Russell
4. Leclerc
5. Verstappen
6. Hamilton
7. Ocon
8. Antonelli
9. Albon
10. Bearman
All those positions hae leads over two seconds...
Charles Leclerc on team radio (Lap 45/56)
08:17
,
Kieran Jackson
Leclerc’s engineer: “We’re losing time in turn 2, try not using the kerb.”
Leclerc: “Nope.”
Oscar Piastri has a five-second lead (Lap 44/56)
08:17
No sign of the tyres waning away yet... but there’s still time!
Piastri has a five-second lead, with Norris 4.6 seconds clear of Russell.
4-10: Leclerc, Verstappen, Hamilton, Ocon, Antonelli, Albon, Bearman
Looking like a hell of a race for Haas here, with two cars in the top-10 at the moment!
Ollie Bearman moves up to 10th! (Lap 41/56)
08:11
,
Kieran Jackson
Celebrations in the Haas garage as Bearman makes an impressive move on Gasly to move up to 10th - and a points-scoring position!
After a horror show in Australia, Bearman looks back down to business in China!
Oscar Piastri eyeing one-stop (Lap 40/56)
08:08
,
Kieran Jackson
Piastri’s engineer: “How’s the tyre looking, plan A?”
Piastri: “I think we can go to the end.”
There we go then!
Lando Norris:
08:07
,
Kieran Jackson
Norris: “I see the first bit of graining, but we’re OK for now.”
Lewis Hamilton pits (Lap 38/56)
08:06
,
Kieran Jackson
Hamilton pits - 2.3 seconds - and comes out in sixth!
OK, so Hamilton the first frontrunner to pit... but it seems possible that most of them will stay out for a one-stop!
Piastri’s lead out in front to Norris is now 2.4 seconds. Will they be allowed to race?
Rain on the cards?! (Lap 35/56)
08:02
,
Kieran Jackson
Norris’s engineer: “Low risk of rain in 3 laps!”
I thought we were getting a dry race! Will the rain shake things up? It’s very dark in Shanghai now...
TOP-10 AFTER 34 LAPS
08:01
,
Kieran Jackson
1. Oscar Piastri
2. Lando Norris
3. George Russell
4. Charles Leclerc
5. Lewis Hamilton
6. Max Verstappen
7. Lance Stroll
8. Yuki Tsunoda
9. Esteban Ocon
10. Kimi Antonelli
When will second pit stops occur? (Lap 32/56)
08:00
Race in a bit of a lull now, as we wait for the second pit stops!
When will be the optimum time?
Russell has been told he may go to the end with a one-stop!
Oscar Piastri has a four-second lead (Lap 26/56)
07:48
,
Kieran Jackson
Piastri will be very satisfied with his work so far - he has a four-second lead to Lando Norris!
George Russell is two seconds further back, while Charles Leclerc is closing in on the Mercedes - 0.8 seconds the gap!
5-10: Hamilton, Verstappen, Stroll, Bearman, Tsunoda, Ocon
Lewis Hamilton... (Lap 24/56)
07:44
,
Kieran Jackson
Hamilton: “Give me some feedback, I need some feedback.”
Engineer: “Turn 13 can improve.”
Hamilton: “Yep, you told me that already.”
Like last week, fascinating communications between Hamilton and Riccardo Adami!
TOP-10 AFTER 23 LAPS
07:42
,
Kieran Jackson
1. Oscar Piastri
2. Lando Norris
3. George Russell
4. Charles Leclerc
5. Lewis Hamilton
6. Max Verstappen
7. Lance Stroll (no stop)
8. Ollie Bearman (no stop)
9. Yuki Tsunoda
10. Esteban Ocon
Kimi Antonelli has dropped to 11th...
Hamilton and Leclerc swap! (Lap 21/56)
07:39
,
Kieran Jackson
Hamilton: “I’ll decide where we swap.”
And indeed he does - at turn 1!
Leclerc moves up to fourth! So Hamilton listens to his team, swaps the position, but does it on his terms!
Perfect compromise...
Lewis Hamilton resists Ferrari order (Lap 20/56)
07:37
Hamilton’s engineer: “We are swapping cars at turn 14.”
Hamilton: “When he’s closer, yes.”
The Ferrari pair in fifth and sixth, but Leclerc has superior speed in the latter position.
Hamilton: “Right now, I’m closing up.”
Piastri retakes lead! (Lap 18/56)
07:34
,
Kieran Jackson
More pace, more power, as Piastri cruises past Albon to retake the lead!
And Norris gets the move done on Russell, steamrolling down the inside at turn 1! Great move!
Norris back to net-second in this race!
Russell overtakes Norris! (Lap 16/56)
07:31
,
Kieran Jackson
Norris pits but comes out just behind Russell, who is now net second in the race!
Alex Albon - yet to pit - is now the race leader!
Piastri is second, 1.6 seconds behind Albon.
Leclerc, incidentally, did not change his front wing in his pit stop!
Oscar Piastri pits! (Lap 15/56)
07:29
,
Kieran Jackson
A slow stop for Piastri - 3.6 seconds - and Lando Norris takes over the lead, with Russell also pitting!
How long will Lando leave it to pit?!
George Russell:
07:27
,
Kieran Jackson
“I think it’s going to be one-stop, front left clearing up.”
Interesting! Russell likes going long... we saw that in Belgium last year!
Yet he’s still coming into the pits...
Hamilton and Verstappen pit (Lap 14/56)
07:27
,
Kieran Jackson
Hamilton’s stop: 2.4 seconds.
Verstappen’s stop: 2.2 seconds.
Hamilton comes out in 10th, with Verstappen in 12th. Frontrunners diving into the pits now... let’s see how this works out!
Kimi Antonelli pits - and drops back! (Lap 13/56)
07:26
,
Kieran Jackson
Tsunoda overtakes Antonelli out of the pits, with the RB pitting a lap earlier!
The undercut working well!
Hadjar also pits - but he’s behind the Mercedes!
Pit stops starting to come to fruition then....
Oscar Piastri has a two-second lead (Lap 12/56)
07:24
So far, so good for Piastri and McLaren. He has a two-second lead to his teammate - but it’s all about tyre management now. The graining is a tad slower than expected, I think.
Piastri’s engineer: “Can we make plan c target lap?
Piastri: “I think it might be possible.”
Charles Leclerc on team radio: (Lap 10/56)
07:21
“If it stays like this, I want plan A.”
What is plan A - one or two stops?!
Engineer: “There will be too much traffic, we stick with plan B.”
Oscar Piastri pulls out of DRS! (Lap 8/56)
07:17
,
Kieran Jackson
Is it pure pace or is it an instruction? Either way, Norris has dropped back to a 1.4 second margin to Piastri.
The race just settling down now - Leclerc is the only man within a second of the car in front, which is teammate Hamilton!
When will the pit stops start? Is it a one-stopper or two-stopper?
Norris: “Starting to struggle, left-front!”
Fernando Alonso retires! (Lap 6/56)
07:14
Alonso has pulled into the pits and he becomes the first car to retire from this race due to those issues with the brakes!
Out in front, Piastri’s lead is now 0.8 seconds - so Norris has DRS!
Will McLaren let them race?!
3-10: Russell, Hamilton, Leclerc, Verstappen, Antonelli, Tsunoda, Hadjar, Ocon
Hamilton and Leclerc!
07:10
,
Kieran Jackson
Replays show the Ferraris just grazed each other at the end of the sweeping turn 1, resulting in Leclerc’s front wing damage!
A minor clash; a usual occurrence on lap 1!
Meanwhile, Fernando Alonso has an issue with his brakes - they’re on fire!
Another look at the contact between Ferrari teammates Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton pic.twitter.com/Eb21H7iq8F
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) March 23, 2025
Oscar Piastri outside of DRS! (Lap 3/56)
07:08
,
Kieran Jackson
Perfect start for McLaren here!
Piastri has a 1.1 second lead to Norris, who is 1.8 seconds clear of Russell!
4-10: Hamilton, Leclerc, Verstappen, Antonelli, Tsunoda, Hadjar, Ocon
Leclerc on his front wing: “We can survive.”
Lights out!
07:06
,
Kieran Jackson
Oscar Piastri gets a poor-ish start but keeps the lead - and Lando Norris swoops around the outside of turn 1 to take second from George Russell!
Lewis Hamilton has taken fourth from Max Verstappen, who is sixth after dropping behind Leclerc too!
“Leclerc has a broken front wing,” says Verstappen. I think he hit Hamilton!
Thrilling start!
OFFICIAL ATTENDANCE
07:03
,
Kieran Jackson
The official attendance for the Chinese Grand Prix is a sold out 220,000 people.
And boy are they excited for this start!
Formation lap!
07:01
,
Kieran Jackson
Oscar Piastri leads the pack around for the formation lap in Shanghai!
All the field on the medium tyre, apart from three drivers: Lance Stroll, Ollie Bearman and Liam Lawson are on the hard tyre.
Who will have the lead after lap one?! Can George Russell steal a march on the McLarens?!
A reminder of the starting grid in China:
06:58
,
Kieran Jackson
1. Oscar Piastri
2. George Russell
3. Lando Norris
4. Max Verstappen
5. Lewis Hamilton
6. Charles Leclerc
7. Isack Hadjar
8. Kimi Antonelli
9. Yuki Tsunoda
10. Alex Albon
11. Esteban Ocon
12. Nico Hulkenberg
13. Fernando Alonso
14. Lance Stroll
15. Carlos Sainz
16. Pierre Gasly
17. Ollie Bearman
18. Jack Doohan
19. Gabriel Bortoleto
Pit lane. Liam Lawson
Red Bull boss Christian Horner:
06:55
,
Kieran Jackson
On Lawson: “We’ve taken the opportunity to make some big setup changes and try and learn something.
“We’re trying to take something out of it.”
On the race: “This race is impossible to call, it’s whoever takes care of that front left tyre.”
Max Verstappen, who starts in P4:
06:53
,
Kieran Jackson
“We can’t touch the car after qualifying, and see if it’s any better in the race.”
Oscar Piastri, who starts on pole:
06:52
,
Kieran Jackson
“Try and get a better start, manage the tyres, everyone learned a lot from yesterday.
“Everybody is a bit wiser – it’ll be pretty tough out there.”
Ollie Bearman, who starts P17:
06:48
,
Kieran Jackson
“It’s a bit more gusty today. It’s changed a lot, we’ll see how it develops, track is a little bit dirty.”
Time for the Chinese national anthem in Shanghai!
06:46
,
Kieran Jackson
With thousands in the grandstands, it’s time for the national anthem of China - the march of the volunteers!
Kimi Antonelli, who starts P8:
06:45
,
Kieran Jackson
“We were just talking about wind being different to yesterday, disturbing a bit, but track feels good for grip.
“Some butterflies in the stomach, you want to get the start right.”
McLaren boss Zak Brown:
06:42
,
Kieran Jackson
“It’s a bit cooler now, wind has picked up - don’t know if it’s a one or two stop. Tyre-dependent race strategy.
“The Ferraris were really strong yesterday, the dirty air impacted us... worry about George, Max and the Ferraris.”
Lando Norris' dad Adam:
06:40
,
Kieran Jackson
“He's feeling good, we'll see, he'll do alright.”
Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur, speaking on the grid:
06:38
,
Kieran Jackson
“We did a good job yesterday but it’s very very tight, we can have a good race.
“Lewis’ win was good for his confidence and the team, but more focused on today now.”
What is the starting grid?
06:34
,
Kieran Jackson
1. Oscar Piastri
2. George Russell
3. Lando Norris
4. Max Verstappen
5. Lewis Hamilton
6. Charles Leclerc
7. Isack Hadjar
8. Kimi Antonelli
9. Yuki Tsunoda
10. Alex Albon
11. Esteban Ocon
12. Nico Hulkenberg
13. Fernando Alonso
14. Lance Stroll
15. Carlos Sainz
16. Pierre Gasly
17. Ollie Bearman
18. Jack Doohan
19. Gabriel Bortoleto
Pit lane. Liam Lawson
Liam Lawson to start from the pit-lane!
06:25
,
Kieran Jackson
Lawson was set to start P20 anyway but after Red Bull did work on his car in parc ferme conditions, the Kiwi will start from the pit lane this morning!
Lewis Hamilton after qualifying P5:
06:20
,
Kieran Jackson
“We started really optimistic, we made a few changes to the car but it was on a knife-edge.
“You want a car that’s balanced, it has a different balance. We made the change and then high-speed was overbalanced. You want a car that you can rely on, when it’s unpredictable you’ve got no hope.”
WATCH: Piastri's pole-clinching moment:
06:15
OSCAR. PIASTRI.#McLaren | #ChineseGP pic.twitter.com/LNUoRRmKcU
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) March 22, 2025
Rock-and-roll Eddie Jordan gave Schumacher his debut – and his flamboyance captivated F1’s paddock
06:10
,
Kieran Jackson
An old-school Irishman of quick wit and vibrancy, Eddie Jordan was a Formula One figure whose influence touched every corner of motorsport’s most-famed paddock throughout a career in the sport lasting over 30 years.
From a promising race driver and savvy team owner to a captivating broadcaster and erudite manager, Jordan’s sad passing at the age of 76 on Thursday, after a year-long battle with cancer, has sent shockwaves through a sport now in its pomp.
Full tribute below:
TOP-10 IN CHAMPIONSHIP AFTER SPRINT
06:04
,
Kieran Jackson
1. Lando Norris - 26 points
2. Max Verstappen - 24 points
3. George Russell - 20 points
4. Kimi Antonelli - 14 points
5. Alex Albon - 10 points
6. Lewis Hamilton - 9 points
7. Oscar Piastri - 9 points
8. Charles Leclerc - 8 points
9. Lance Stroll - 8 points
10. Nico Hulkenberg - 6 points
Liam Lawson painfully honest after torrid start to Red Bull F1 career: ‘It’s just not good enough’
05:28
Liam Lawson did not make any excuses as he reflected on a torrid start to his Red Bull F1 career at the Chinese Grand Prix.
The Kiwi driver, promoted to be Max Verstappen’s teammate this year as he replaced Sergio Perez, crashed out of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in wet conditions last week
Yet this weekend in Shanghai has been even worse, so far. Lawson qualified dead last for the sprint race on Saturday – though moved up to finish 14th – but did not improve his one-lap pace in grand prix qualifying, finishing last once more.
Full quotes below:
Oscar Piastri after qualifying on pole:
05:15
,
Kieran Jackson
“The car came alive in Q3 and I came alive in Q3. Even at the end laps were scruffy but pumped to be on pole.
“When you hook it up, it feels pretty mega.
“I was pretty happy after the sprint, we did the most we could of. We learned a lot this morning, looking forward to putting that to use tomorrow.”
FULL STARTING GRID FOR CHINESE GP
05:00
,
Kieran Jackson
1. Oscar Piastri
2. George Russell
3. Lando Norris
4. Max Verstappen
5. Lewis Hamilton
6. Charles Leclerc
7. Isack Hadjar
8. Kimi Antonelli
9. Yuki Tsunoda
10. Alex Albon
11. Esteban Ocon
12. Nico Hulkenberg
13. Fernando Alonso
14. Lance Stroll
15. Carlos Sainz
16. Pierre Gasly
17. Ollie Bearman
18. Jack Doohan
19. Gabriel Bortoleto
20. Liam Lawson
George Russell after qualifying P2:
04:39
,
Kieran Jackson
“Feels incredible to be honest, one of the hardest quali sessions I’ve done in a long, long time. Nothing seemed to be clicking, did something different on that final lap and it worked, happy with P2.
“I had a big moment at turn 1 but it all came together, I was really surprised when I crossed the line. Buzzing, looking forward to tomorrow.”
Zak Brown on Piastri's pole:
03:08
,
Kieran Jackson
"That was a MEGA lap"
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) March 22, 2025
Zak Brown says it's "awesome" to see Oscar Piastri secure pole for Sunday pic.twitter.com/rNEZWYWF5s
Lando Norris unbothered about 'favourites' tag
01:37
,
Kieran Jackson
"Makes no difference for me at the minute," he insisted, when asked about ‘favourites’ tag.
"I'm not thinking about it. I don't really care about it. It shouldn't change anything I do, it shouldn't change what the team do. I had one good weekend. People need to calm down a little bit!
"No, I stay focused and I try and do the same here this weekend. But yeah, I probably won't even think of the championship until at least halfway through the year "
