Race Notes - Piastri takes McLaren 1-2

Oscar Piastri, Chinese GP 2025
© McLaren

By Mark Karp

Oscar Piastri won the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai, taking a McLaren-Mercedes 1-2 finish over Lando Norris, who was suffering ailing brakes, by 9.748 seconds behind.

George Russell in the Mercedes GP finished third, 11.097 seconds behind the winner.

The win is McLaren’s second of the season, and Piastri’s third career win.

Norris leads the Drivers Championship with 44 points, over Verstappen (35), Piastri (34), Antonelli (18), Leclerc (18), and Hamilton (17). McLaren leads the Constructors Championship with 78 points over Mercedes (53), Red Bull (36), Ferrari (35) and Williams (17). The 1-2 finish is McLaren’s 50th, since the team's first in 1968.

Max Verstappen (16.656s) in the Red Bull-Honda finished fourth, followed by Charles Leclerc (23.211s) in the Ferrari in fifth, his team mate Lewis Hamilton (25.381s) in. sixth, Esteban Ocon (49.969s) in the Haas-Ferrari was seventh, Kimi Antonelli (53.248s) in the second Mercedes was eighth, Alex Albon (56.321s) in the Williams-Mercedes was ninth, and taking the final point in the second Haas was Oliver Bearman in tenth place.

It was overcast before the start, with Piastri on pole in his McLaren for the first time on his 48th F1 start with Russell alongside on the front row, Norris and Verstappen on row 2, Hamilton and Leclerc on row 3, Hadjar and Antonelli on row 4, and Tsunoda and Albon rounding out the top ten.

All drivers on medium tyres except Stroll and Bearman on hard tyres.

At the appointed time, the field came round to the grid the lights went off and the race started with Piastri in the lead with Russell in second into the first corner. Norris gets into second, Russell third. Hamilton, Leclerc, Verstappen, Antonelli Yuki Tsunoda, Isack Hadjar, and Ocon in tenth,

Hamilton and Leclerc touch and Leclerc looses a wing endplate.

On lap 4 Pierre Gasly has gained three places. Fernando Alonso limps back to the pits with brake failure.

On lap 6 Gabriel Bortoleto pits.

At lap 10 Piastri leads Norris by 1.6 seconds, followed by Russell (4.1s), Hamilton (5.9s), Leclerc (7.2s), Verstappen (12.0s), Antonelli (13.8s), Tsunoda (15.7s), Hadjar (16.7s) and Ocon (17.6s) in tenth.

On lap 11 Gasly pits. The next lap Tsunoda and Ocon pit. Hadjar and Antonelli pit as well - all for hard tyres.

On lap 13 Hamilton pits for hard tyres and rejoins tenth. Verstappen takes hard tyres and rejoins in 11th.

On lap 14 Piastri and Russell pit for hard tyres and rejoin fourth and seventh. Then Norris and Leclerc pit rejoining fifth and tenth.

Russell gets ahead of Norris.

Russell sets fast lap at 1m36.812s.

Alex Albon, yet to pit leads.

On lap 17 Piastri retakes the lead past Albon.

Hamilton and Leclerc pass Lance Stroll yet to pit.

On lap 19 Norris passes Albon for second.

On lap 20 Albon pits.

On lap 21 Leclerc and Hamilton swap positions.

At lap 21 Piastri leads Norris by 4.3 second, followed by Russell (6.0s), Leclerc (7.0s), Hamilton (8.8s), Verstappen (11.8s), Stroll (14.4s), Bearman (15.6s), Tsunoda (22.9s) and Ocon (24.7s) in tenth place.

On lap 24 Albon passes Gasly for 13th.

On lap 25 Bearman trys to pass Stroll for seventh, locks his front tyres and doesn’t get the pass.

On lap 26 Leclerc is under a second behind Russell.

Bearman pits for medium tyres and rejoins 17th.

Norris sets fast lap at 1m36.754s and again the next lap at 1m36.509s.

Borteleto sets fast lap at 1m35.874s.

Just past half distance, on lap 31 Bearman passes Lawson for 16th.

At lap 35 Piastri leads Norris by 3.4 seconds, followed by Russell (7.9s), Leclerc (10..9s), Hamilton (14.3s), Verstappen (33.6s), Stroll (36.5s), Tsunoda (36.6s), Ocon (38.1s) and Antonelli (40.6s) in tenth.

On lap 36 Tsunoda pits for hard tyres and rejoins 15th.

Hadjar sets fast lap at 1m35.868s.

Stroll pits for medium tyres and rejoins 14th.

On lap 37 Hamilton pits from fifth, takes on hard tyros and rejoins sixth.

Hamilton set fast lap at 1m35.839s.

At lap 40 Piastri leads Norris by 2.6 seconds, followed by Russell (8.9s), Leclerc (13.6s), Verstappen 18.2(s), Hamilton (36.6s), Ocon (43.0s), Antonelli (45.3s), Albon (49.0s) and Gasly (53.5s) in tenth.

On lap 41 Bearman passes Gasly for tenth.

Hamilton sets fast lap again at 1m35.069s - and trails Verstappen by 17.7s.

On lap 43 Stroll passes Carlos Sainz for 12th.

On lap 44 Tsunoda passes Jack Doohan for 14th.

Teams are reporting there might be a few drops of rain on the last lap.

On lap 47 Tsunoda pits and replaces his front wing, and rejoins in 19th.

Norris is experiencing that his brake pedal is continuing to get longer as the race goes on.

At lap 50 Piastri leads Norris by 3.0 seconds, followed by Russell (10.5s), Leclerc (16.2s), Verstappen (17.1s), Hamilton (28.4s), Ocon (49.4s), Antonelli (51.5s), Albon (53.7s) and Bearman (58.2s).

Doohan is handed a 10-second penalty.

On lap 52 Verstappen has closes right on the tail of Leclerc.

On lap 53 Verstappen passes Leclerc through the first corner to take fourth.

Norris is nursing his way to the flag, to allow his brakes to survive. Russell is closing.

Hamilton is closing on Leclerc.

At the finish Piastri wins the race, ahead of Norris and Russell.