Lewis Hamilton celebrates his first victory in his second race in a Ferrari. The record-breaking world champion wins the first sprint of the Formula 1 season in Shanghai, making it a double premiere.
22.03.2025, 04:43
22.03.2025, 08:19
SDA
No time? blue Sport summarizes for you
- Lewis Hamilton wins the sprint at the GP in China.
- Behind Hamilton, Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen complete the podium.
- Team Sauber wins no points. Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hülkenberg finished 18th and 19th respectively.
Lewis Hamilton came out on top in the 19-lap race ahead of Oscar Piastri in the McLaren and world champion Max Verstappen in the Red Bull. The Englishman, who started from pole position, defended his lead at the start and ultimately celebrated a commanding start-finish victory with a lead of almost seven seconds.
The surprise after the disappointment
Hamilton thus ensured a double premiere on a track where he feels extremely comfortable and has already won the Grand Prix six times. For the 40-year-old Briton, the record holder with 105 GP wins, it was the first victory in the sprint format introduced in 2021. The same goes for Ferrari.
For the Scuderia and Hamilton, it is a triumph that hardly anyone would have thought possible so soon after the disappointing start to the season in Melbourne. Last Sunday, the seven-time champion and his team-mate Charles Leclerc had to settle for 10th and 8th place in the Australian Grand Prix. A restart that Hamilton had imagined differently in his first race after twelve years with Mercedes.
World championship leader Norris makes another mistake
Lando Norris, who went into the second GP weekend as the clear favorite after his victory in the season opener in Melbourne, also made mistakes in the race after qualifying. The Englishman, who started from sixth on the grid, dropped back to ninth place after a mistake on the opening lap, but still secured a championship point thanks to an overtaking maneuver in the final phase against Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) in eighth place. Norris leads the championship standings ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday (8.00 a.m. Swiss time) by two points from Verstappen.
Sauber far behind
Meanwhile, the Sauber team drivers came away empty-handed. Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hülkenberg finished 18th and 19th respectively. The rookie from Brazil and the German veteran, who had to tackle the sprint race from the pit lane after his surprising 7th place in Australia due to last-minute modifications to his car, never came close to the points.
