Christian Horner did not dismiss speculation that Yuki Tsunoda could replace under-fire Liam Lawson at Red Bull for the next race in Japan.
Lawson has endured a torrid opening two F1 races as Max Verstappen’s teammate: he crashed out of the season-opening Australian GP and qualified last on the grid, twice, in China.
The New Zealander himself acknowledged he does “not have time” on his hands to turn around his form, while various outlets reported post-race in Shanghai that Red Bull were considering a shock swap for the Japanese Grand Prix, with Racing Bulls driver Tsunoda replacing Lawson for Red Bull.
Red Bull team principal Horner was pressed on the situation in his media briefing with the written press after Sunday’s race and refused to rule out an early-season swap.
Follow live updates from the Chinese Grand Prix with The Independent
F1 CHINESE GRAND PRIX - LATEST UPDATES
- Liam Lawson's future at Red Bull in doubt ahead of Japan GP
- Christian Horner refuses to rule out Lawson-Tsunoda swap
- Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc disqualified post-race
- COMMENT: Lewis Hamilton’s shock disqualification tells us one thing: Ferrari have hit rock bottom
- Click HERE for full F1 driver standings after the DSQs
FULL STORY: Christian Horner refuses to rule out Yuki Tsunoda replacing Liam Lawson at Red Bull
10:05
,
Kieran Jackson
Christian Horner did not dismiss speculation that Yuki Tsunoda could replace under-fire Liam Lawson at Red Bull for the next F1 race in Japan.
Lawson has endured a torrid opening two races as Max Verstappen’s teammate: he crashed out of the season-opening Australian GP and qualified last on the grid, twice, in China.
The New Zealander himself acknowledged he does “not have time” on his hands to turn around his form, while various outlets reported post-race in Shanghai that Red Bull were considering a shock swap for the Japanese Grand Prix, with Racing Bulls driver Tsunoda in line to replace Lawson.
Full quotes below:
Liam Lawson painfully honest after torrid start to Red Bull F1 career: ‘It’s just not good enough’
11:30
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
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:
F1 driver standings after Chinese Grand Prix
10:49
,
Kieran Jackson
1. Lando Norris – 44 points
2. Max Verstappen – 36 points
3. George Russell – 35 points
4. Oscar Piastri – 34 points
5. Kimi Antonelli – 22 points
6. Alex Albon – 16 points
7. Esteban Ocon – 10 points
8. Lance Stroll – 10 points
9. Lewis Hamilton – 9 points
10. Charles Leclerc – 8 points
11. Nico Hulkenberg – 6 points
12. Yuki Tsunoda – 3 points
13. Ollie Bearman – 1 point
14. Carlos Sainz – 1 point
15. Pierre Gasly – 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
VIDEO: Liam Lawson reacts after another tough weekend for Red Bull
09:36
,
Kieran Jackson
Will Red Bull give Liam the time he needs? pic.twitter.com/WVDAiOarWJ
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) March 23, 2025
FERRARI STATEMENT ON DSQs
09:27
,
Kieran Jackson
“Following the FIA post-race scrutineering both our cars were found not to conform to the regulations for different reasons.
“Car 16 was found to be underweight by 1 kg and car 44’s rearward skid wear was found to be 0.5mm below the limit.
“Charles was on a one-stop strategy today and this meant his tyre wear was very high, causing the car to be underweight.
“With regard to Lewis’ skid wear, we misjudged the consumption by a small margin.
“There was no intention to gain any advantage. We will learn from what happened today and make sure we don’t make the same mistakes again.
“Clearly it’s not the way we wanted to end our Chinese GP weekend, neither for ourselves, nor for our fans whose support for us is unwavering.”
Lewis Hamilton, after finishing sixth:
09:02
,
Kieran Jackson
Hamilton spoke prior to news of his DSQ:
On two-stop strategy: “I’m glad that we tried something, I was struggling with performance.
“Ultimately we had a pretty decent car in the sprint, we made some changes and made it worse. Lots to learn, the pit stop is too long here and they were still going fast at the end, Verstappen was doing the same times as me and I had fresher tyres, it wasn’t great.”
On changes post-sprint: “We made it quite a bit worse, I hadn’t tested it, we both went that way and it was bad.
“I know not to do that again.”
Ollie Bearman after finishing 8th:
08:55
,
Kieran Jackson
“Super happy, we did a great job – good execution on everything. I wasn’t expecting to do a one-stop, but the tyres lasted much better and we did a great job with setup changes. The car was so good today.
“This track suits what we have, on paper it’s good for our car. Very smooth, not many bumps, it is partly due to the track.”
Liam Lawson painfully honest after torrid start to Red Bull F1 career: ‘It’s just not good enough’
08:45
,
Kieran Jackson
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:
NEW TOP-10 - CHINESE GP
08:20
As a result of Hamilton (6th), Leclerc (5th) and Gasly’s (11th) DSQ - here is the new top-10:
1. Oscar Piastri
2. Lando Norris
3. George Russell
4. Max Verstappen
5. Esteban Ocon
6. Kimi Antonelli
7. Alex Albon
8. Ollie Bearman
9. Lance Stroll
10. Carlos Sainz
COMMENT: Lewis Hamilton’s shock disqualification tells us one thing: Ferrari have already hit rock bottom
07:46
,
Kieran Jackson
Twenty-four hours is a long time in Formula One. Just on Saturday, Lewis Hamilton was riding high, optimism radiating, after his first taste of victory in the famous Ferrari red, albeit in the shorter sprint format.
By Sunday night, long after dusk fell in Shanghai, the Briton and his beleaguered team had hit rock bottom.
Full report below:
EXPLAINER; Why was Lewis Hamilton disqualified from Chinese Grand Prix?
07:14
,
Kieran Jackson
Lewis Hamilton’s rollercoaster start to life at Ferrari continued as he was dramatically disqualified after the conclusion of the Chinese Grand Prix.
After the highs of Saturday’s victory in the sprint race, having shockingly qualified on pole the previous day, Hamilton’s weekend took a downward turn come Sunday’s full race.
Having made contact with Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc on the opening lap, causing damage to the Monegasque’s front wing, the Brit struggled for pace around the Shanghai racetrack – resorting to a two-stop strategy in the desperate hope that fresh tyres would help him find some extra speed.
That turned out to be a forlorn hope however, as he eventually crossed the line in sixth, one spot behind Leclerc and well off the pace of dominant McLaren pair Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris up front, who sealed a one-two.
Things then got worse for the seven-time world champion as he was disqualified after the race, seeing the eight points wiped from his championship tally. It was an incredibly busy post-race period for the stewards and F1 officials as Leclerc and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly were also disqualified alongside Hamilton.
Here’s everything you need to know about the disqualifications:
F1 constructor standings after Chinese Grand Prix
06:05
,
Kieran Jackson
1. McLaren - 78 points
2. Mercedes - 57 points
3. Red Bull - 36 points
4. Williams - 17 points
5. Ferrari - 17 points
6. Haas - 14 points
7. Aston Martin - 10 points
8. Sauber - 6 points
9. Racing Bulls - 3 points
10. Alpine - 0 points
VIDEO: Lewis Hamilton reacts after sprint win
04:27
,
Kieran Jackson
Lewis' immediate reaction after winning for Ferrari for the first time ☝️ pic.twitter.com/2OvJbS5esa
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) March 22, 2025
TIMELINE: Eddie Jordan’s extraordinary career from Dublin banker to F1 team owner
03:28
,
Kieran Jackson
Former Formula One team owner Eddie Jordan has died aged 76, his family have announced.
The Irishman revealed in December he was suffering with bladder and prostate cancer which had spread to his spine and pelvis.
A family statement, published by rugby club London Irish where Jordan was a patron, said he “passed away peacefully with family by his side in Cape Town” on Thursday.
Formula 1 in talks over new grand prix with Stefano Domenicali ‘impressed’ by plans
02:15
,
Kieran Jackson
A new grand prix in Bangkok could soon come to fruition after Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali paid a visit to Thailand to discuss plans.
Domenicali travelled to the Asian country in the days following last weekend’s season opener in Australia, meeting Thai prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.
There, he heard about the nation’s ambitions to stage an inaugural F1 race on its streets.
Thailand is one of several countries eager to join an already packed calendar - but with the Dutch Grand Prix’s impending departure from the schedule in 2026, there may just be space for a new race down the line.
Oscar Piastri on team radio:
01:12
,
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
Max Verstappen after finishing fourth:
00:24
“We set out to do our own pace, the tyres were in a decent shape when we pitted but it’s not how we want to race. A lot to analyse I think, the second stint was more positive and promising.
“I try to do the best I can, not thinking about anything else. Feel good in life in general, that’s what matters the most.”
Rock-and-roll Eddie Jordan gave Schumacher his debut – and his flamboyance captivated F1’s paddock
Sunday 23 March 2025 23:27
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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:
Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur unhappy with 'joke' broadcast of Hamilton-Leclerc swap in China GP
Sunday 23 March 2025 22:02
,
Kieran Jackson
“This is a joke from FOM (Formula One Management), because the first call came from Lewis to swap. Lewis suggested it.
“But to make the show, to create the mess around the situation, they did not broadcast the first part of the exchange. So I will discuss it with them.
“We have to work for the team and consider the best thing for Ferrari. The collaboration between the two guys (Hamilton and Leclerc) is mega and I cannot complain about it.”
EXPLAINER: Why was Lewis Hamilton disqualified from Chinese Grand Prix?
Sunday 23 March 2025 20:03
F1 driver standings after the three DSQs
Sunday 23 March 2025 18:00
,
Kieran Jackson
1. Lando Norris – 44 points
2. Max Verstappen – 36 points
3. George Russell – 35 points
4. Oscar Piastri – 34 points
5. Kimi Antonelli – 22 points
6. Alex Albon – 16 points
7. Esteban Ocon – 10 points
8. Lance Stroll – 10 points
9. Lewis Hamilton – 9 points
10. Charles Leclerc – 8 points
11. Nico Hulkenberg – 6 points
12. Yuki Tsunoda – 3 points
13. Ollie Bearman – 1 point
14. Carlos Sainz – 1 point
15. Pierre Gasly – 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
Charles Leclerc, speaking prior to DSQ:
Sunday 23 March 2025 16:30
,
Kieran Jackson
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 or 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.”
COMMENT: Lewis Hamilton’s shock disqualification tells us one thing: Ferrari have hit rock bottom
Sunday 23 March 2025 14:53
,
Kieran Jackson
Twenty-four hours is a long time in Formula One. Just on Saturday, Lewis Hamilton was riding high, optimism radiating, after his first taste of victory in the famous Ferrari red, albeit in the shorter sprint format.
By Sunday night, long after dusk fell in Shanghai, the Briton and his beleaguered team had hit rock bottom.
Full piece below:
A final points summary in China:
Sunday 23 March 2025 14:45
,
Kieran Jackson
The final points/placings from Shanghai after those three DSQs #F1 #ChineseGP pic.twitter.com/Yfin5Xx4DK
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 23, 2025
Liam Lawson, after finishing 12th:
Sunday 23 March 2025 13:30
,
Kieran Jackson
“ We tried to do something aggressive today, that’s why we started from the pit-lane. We learned something but it just didn’t work today.
On being under pressure already at Red Bull: “We’re in the season, two races in, racing. You’d love to have 60 test days and I know a lot of the other guys tested a lot, it’s not something we did. It’s one of those things, it’s not an excuse, something I have to get on top of as quickly as I can.”
FERRARI STATEMENT ON DSQs
Sunday 23 March 2025 13:14
,
Kieran Jackson
“Following the FIA post-race scrutineering both our cars were found not to conform to the regulations for different reasons.
“Car 16 was found to be underweight by 1 kg and car 44’s rearward skid wear was found to be 0.5mm below the limit.
“Charles was on a one-stop strategy today and this meant his tyre wear was very high, causing the car to be underweight.
“With regard to Lewis’ skid wear, we misjudged the consumption by a small margin.
“There was no intention to gain any advantage. We will learn from what happened today and make sure we don’t make the same mistakes again.
“Clearly it’s not the way we wanted to end our Chinese GP weekend, neither for ourselves, nor for our fans whose support for us is unwavering.”
Pierre Gasly reacts to disqualification:
Sunday 23 March 2025 12:52
,
Kieran Jackson
“It was a tricky race out there today and again, like last week, we finished 11th and just outside of the points.
“Unfortunately, after the race, a technical infringement meant we faced a DSQ.
“In terms of the actual race, though, I think the degradation probably caught most teams out by surprise in the race as it was much lower than expected and the one-stop proved doable.
“We extended our second stint after pitting early and took it to the chequered flag without any reward. In general, it has been a challenging weekend where we have not been as competitive as we would like.”
An unwanted Hamilton fact...
Sunday 23 March 2025 12:22
,
Kieran Jackson
Lewis Hamilton has become the first driver in F1 history to secure a win and also be disqualified in the same race weekend!
This, of course, follows his sprint race victory on Saturday - which still stands.
FIA STATEMENT:
Sunday 23 March 2025 12:10
,
Kieran Jackson
On Hamilton’s DSQ, an FIA statement read:
“The plank assembly of Car 44 [Hamilton] was measured and found to be 8.6mm (LHS), 8.6mm (car centerline) and 8.5mm (RHS). This is below the minimum thickness of 9mm specified under Article 3.5.9 of the Technical Regulations.
“During the hearing, the team representative confirmed that the measurement is correct and that all required procedures were performed correctly. The team also acknowledged that there were no mitigating circumstances and that it was a genuine error by the team.
“The Stewards determine that Article 3.5.9 of the FIA Formula 1 Technical Regulations has been breached and therefore the standard penalty of a disqualification needs to be applied for such an infringement.”
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc disqualified
Sunday 23 March 2025 11:37
,
Kieran Jackson
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have both been disqualified from the Chinese Grand Prix in a disastrous blow for Ferrari.
The cars of both drivers failed post-race checks, with Hamilton’s skid block found to be below the minimum thickness, while Leclerc’s car was found to be underweight.
Alpine’s Pierre Gasly has also been disqualified for an underweight car.
It means Hamilton and Leclerc’s points for their sixth and fifth place finish respectively – eight and 10 – are wiped from their championship tally.
The disqualification does not impact Hamilton’s sprint race victory on Saturday, for which he secured eight points.
CONFIRMED: Lewis Hamilton disqualified from the Chinese Grand Prix
Sunday 23 March 2025 11:32
Hamilton’s DSQ is also now confirmed by the FIA.
This is due to excessive plank wear on his Ferrari car.
Wow.
CONFIRMED: Charles Leclerc is disqualified from the Chinese Grand Prix
Sunday 23 March 2025 11:26
Leclerc’s DSQ is confirmed. Pierre Gasly’s is also confirmed.
Both for underweight cars!
We await news on Lewis Hamilton’s DSQ...
UPDATE: Ferrari have seen stewards
Sunday 23 March 2025 11:10
Ferrari have already seen the stewards about Leclerc’s issue, with Alpine now in the room for Gasly.
Ferrari will be back in the room in 15 minutes for Hamilton...
BREAKING: LEWIS HAMILTON AT RISK TOO
Sunday 23 March 2025 11:06
,
Kieran Jackson
Excessive skid wear to blame, as his rearmost skids have been measured below the 9mm minimum thickness limit post-race.
Could be a double Ferrari DSQ!
Oh gosh...
BREAKING: Charles Leclerc and Pierre Gasly at risk of disqualification
Sunday 23 March 2025 10:57
,
Kieran Jackson
Leclerc (P5) and Gasly's (P11) cars have both been found to be underweight in post-race scrutineering.
It could mean Lance Stroll, in 12th, could be promoted to the points.
More as we get it...
RACE REPORT: Oscar Piastri wins Chinese Grand Prix as Lewis Hamilton struggles for Ferrari
Sunday 23 March 2025 10:22
,
Kieran Jackson
Oscar Piastri beat Lando Norris to win the Chinese Grand Prix as a struggling Lewis Hamilton moved aside for Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc.
Piastri led virtually every lap at the Shanghai International Circuit, with Norris following his team-mate home as McLaren underlined their impressive speed by executing a one-two finish.
Mercedes' George Russell was third ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who passed Leclerc with three laps remaining. Hamilton crossed the line a distant sixth.
FULL REPORT BELOW:
Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur:
Sunday 23 March 2025 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:
Sunday 23 March 2025 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.”
Time for the podium!
Sunday 23 March 2025 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:
Sunday 23 March 2025 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:
Sunday 23 March 2025 08:52
,
Kieran Jackson
“Yeah well done boys, beautiful one-two!”
George Russell after finishing P3:
Sunday 23 March 2025 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:
Sunday 23 March 2025 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!”
TOP-10 IN CHINESE GP
Sunday 23 March 2025 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