Britain’s rookie Ollie Bearman delivered a superb drive with some decisive overtaking and clever racecraft to take seventh place for Haas. Alex Albon was in eighth for Williams and his teammate Carlos Sainz in 10th, with Lance Stroll in ninth for Aston Martin. Oscar Piastri won the Chinese Grand Prix with a dominant run from pole position for McLaren but Lewis Hamilton had an enormously frustrating close to only his second race for Ferrari when his car was disqualified for a technical infringement after the race.
Piastri’s win in the second race of the new season once again demonstrated McLaren have a fearsomely quick car. He secured a comfortable one-two with his teammate Lando Norris in second. George Russell was third for Mercedes but 11 seconds down the road from the McLarens, with Max Verstappen fourth for Red Bull. Charles Leclerc and Hamilton finished in fifth and sixth for Ferrari, however both were then disqualified post-race.
Related: Hamilton hits out at ‘yapping’ critics after sprint race success at Chinese GP
After the usual checks on the car in parc fermé the skid blocks on the underside of Hamilton’s Ferrari were found to be below the legal thickness. Leclerc and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly were also disqualified, with their cars judged to be underweight.
The skid blocks are located as part of the plank beneath the car and required to be a specific depth after the race to ensure the car does not run below the minimum ride height. Ferrari and Hamilton have yet to comment on the decision but it is far from the operational precision the British driver would have been hoping for from the Scuderia, although all teams attempt to push the margin of error as close as possible for performance purposes.
The decision promoted Esteban Ocon Kimi Antonelli into fifth and sixth place.
Piastri controlled what was very much a processional race, with a flawless drive from pole, with Norris moving up to second from the start and McLaren then in a commanding position from which they were not threatened. Tyre-wear management dominated a somewhat prosaic affair but Norris did well to survive a late-race brake problem to claim second, while Ferrari switched Hamilton and Leclerc mid-race but they could make no impression on the leaders.
Norris has maintained his lead in the world championship with 44 points from Verstappen on 36, Russell on 35 and Piastri now on 34.
It was Piastri’s first win in China and the third of his career after taking two last season in what has been an enormously impressive start in F1 over just two years. His team too will enjoy the winning feeling in Shanghaiwith their 50th one-two and after a long absence from the top step in China. The last time they took the flag here was in 2011 with Hamilton.
The confidence in the balance, handling and grip of the car McLaren had enjoyed in Australia was once more in abundance when it really mattered. They have a genuine march on their rivals, the first time they have started a season on the front foot for some time and is the very opening the team, Piastri and Norris have stressed was required if they are to make a tilt at the title.
Piastri held his lead into turn one but Norris made a quick start and swept round the outside of Russell to claim second place, the decisive moment. Leclerc lightly clipped Hamilton, bumped into his teammate off the kerbs and took front wing damage to his endplate, while Verstappen had to go wide and dropped back to sixth from fourth.
McLaren held a solid one-two but could not drop Russell in the early phase, Piastri and Norris ran line astern, very much settled with gaps of just over a second, as they looked to manage their tyres with a heavy fuel load, given the front graining that had been such a feature of Saturday’s sprint race.
Leclerc however, despite the damage was frustrated, feeling he was quicker than Hamilton who was managing his rubber.
Hamilton and Verstappen then made their opening pit stops on lap 14 to take the hard tyres. Piastri and Russell followed a lap later. Norris had to stay out for an extra lap and after his stop emerged wheel to wheel with Russell but was also baulked by Lance Stroll and Russell took the place with the undercut. He could not hold it long however as the pace of the McLaren told, Norris piling though the inside at turn one with ease two laps later.
Leclerc was showing so much pace Hamilton then moved over for his teammate on lap 21 and with the stops played out Piastri led from Norris, Russell, Leclerc, Hamilton and Verstappen, who was unable to make any impact from sixth. Piastri was comfortable out front, at the halfway point, Norris having deliberately dropped out of his teammate’s dirty air, three seconds back but easily able to close when ordered to do so by his team.
Hamilton took his second stop on lap 38 as the leaders considered whether they could eke their rubber out to a one-stop, with Piastri confident he could make it and indeed the hard tyres were good to the flag.
In a race light on drama, there was late concern for Norris who was suffering issues with his brake pedal and the team advised him to go easy on it, to ensure a finish. Nonetheless while the problem hampered him in the final laps, he had enough to hold the place. Verstappen, meanwhile, having carefully watched his tyres, finally had some pace and caught Leclerc at the close and passed him on lap 53 for fourth.
Piastri eased over the line with complete control, a fine drive with the McLarens having managed their pace with ease and a clear sense they had much more in the locker. The pecking order then for the season is becoming clearer and Piastri and Norris are at its head.
However after the race the FIA began its checks and two hours later confirmed penalties had been imposed on Hamilton, Leclerc and Gasly.
Britain’s rookie Ollie Bearman delivered a superb drive with some decisive overtaking and clever racecraft to take seventh place for Haas. Alex Albon was in eighth for Williams and his teammate Carlos Sainz in 10th, with Lance Stroll in ninth for Aston Martin.
