Chinese GP Highlights, F1 2025: Piastri Wins Race, Hamilton Finishes Sixth In Shanghai

McLaren are having some start to the season!

After Lando Norris’ win in Australia last week, his teammate Oscar Piastri takes the chequered flag in Shanghai.

Hello and welcome to the F1 2025 coverage of the Chinese GP that will take place at the Shanghai International Circuit. Hang around as we get some first-bumping action.

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri is targeting a third Formula 1 win from his maiden pole position at Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix, with the Australian the most consistent pilot on-track throughout the weekend so far in Shanghai.

“I think just making sure your tires survive is the biggest thing,” said the 23-year-old Piastri, who has history behind him with 10 of the 17 previous Shanghai races won from pole.

“I think it’s going to be a pretty interesting race. It’s the most (tire) degradation (wear) that we’ve probably seen and the most graining we’ve seen in a long time.”

Ahead of the main race, it's time for the National Anthem. All the drivers and cars are ready to burn up the tyres in Shanghai.

As per AccuWeather, there is sunlight with air temperature around 27.3C and track temperature at 38.5C. FIA official risk of rain is 10%.

As per a fan poll on the F1 website, fans have predicted Oscar Piastri as the winner of today's race in Shanghai with a vote percentage of 35%. Lewis Hamilton comes in second with 23%.

Green lights and we are off in Shanghai! What a start to the race with Oscar Piastri starting off slow off the line with George Russell sneaking in from behind on the inside but the Australian stays well ahead.

Oscar Piastri leads his team mate by a second, with George Russell in third ahead of Lewis Hamilton. Leclerc has lost an end-plate, and reports are filtering in that he hit Hamilton, but not confirmation in yet.

Seems like there's smoke blowing up from Fernando Alonso's car with the veteran driver radioing his team, "I cannot brake, I have no brakes!"

1. Piastri

2. Norris

3. Russell

4. Hamilton

5. Leclerc

6. Verstappen

7. Antonelli

8. Tsunoda

9. Hadjar

10. Ocon

Race leader Oscar Piastri has taken a pitstop followed by Mercedes' George Russell. What this could mean for the rest of the Main Race? Let's wait and watch.

Lando Norris employs DRS and overtakes George Russell. Lando Norris is now third, Russell fourth, while Oscar Piastri is back at the front, with Albon in fourth.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen is down at sixth with his teammate Liam Lawson at 17th. Strange to see the Red Bull's especially Verstappen struggling on the track. Elsewhere, the Ferraris have generated some pace and are closing on third placed George Russell.

Up front, Lando Norris sets a new fastest lap to eat four tenths of a second into his team mate Oscar Piastri's lead. The gap is still +3.339s though, so Piastri is comfortable right now.

32 laps down from the possible 56 and Oscar Piastri is not showing any signs of slowing. His teammate Lando Norris is right on his heels but the Australian looks settled and at ease in his lead.

The McLaren radio believes there’s a “small risk of rain” towards the end of the race. Will this affect the lead? Piastri leads from 3.5s over his team mate Norris, Russell is now four seconds adrift, Leclerc has dropped back too in fourth.

Lando Norris receives instructions from his team via the radio -

"Our front left is a little bit worse than Oscar's," Norris is told.

"Yes, I can see but it feels okay," he responds.

The broadcasters have taken little time out to show Oscar Piastri in the front that's because the Aussie is leading the race by a mile. It will be a huge shock if Piastri does not win it from here!

It seems Racing Bulls drivers had a fair bit of pace in qualifying but both Yuki Tsunoda and Isack Hadjar have slipped down the grid and are currently out of the points.

Alpine driver Jack Doohan has been handed a 10-second time penalty for forcing Isack Hadjar off the track.

It seems Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris will grab the one-two spot for McLaren at the Chinese GP. The Aussie F1 star has had brilliant and dominating race right from the word 'go'!

1. Piastri

2. Norris

3. Russell

4. Verstappen

5. Leclerc

6. Hamilton

7. Ocon

8. Antonelli

9. Albon

10. Bearman

11. Gasly

12. Stroll

13. Sainz

14. Hadjar

15. Doohan

17. Bortoleto

18. Hulkenberg

19. Tsunoda

"Very good job guys, thank you very much, Car was very lovely," Piastri says. "Great team effort, that is one satisfying weekend."

"It's been an incredible weekend, the car has been pretty mega. Today was a surprise, how differently the tyres behaved. This feels like what I deserved from last week.

"Very, very happy just, yeah, very happy. The hard was a much better tyre than everyone expected, so to go all the way to the end was a bit of a surprise, but a happy surprise."