I Watched the Chinese Grand Prix So You Wouldn't Have To
- Naomi Blair
- Mar 25
- 7 min read
Updated: Apr 7
Formula 1 is back, and this time, back with a bang. We are only two races into the season but so much has happened already. With five new rookies, Hamilton in a Ferrari car and a new driver in the Red Bull seat, it is nearly impossible to predict how this season will play out. Will Verstappen continue his reign over the Driver’s Championship? Will McLaren continue to dominate over the other teams? Will the rookies live up to the high expectations placed upon them? Only time will tell, but for now, let’s do a deep dive into the Chinese Grand Prix. What were the results? What are the current Driver’s and Constructors championship standings? And most importantly, how are my fantasy teams doing?
Results of the Sprint Race
Position | Driver | Time/Retired | Points |
1 | Hamilton | 30:39.965 | 8 |
2 | Piastri | +6.889 | 7 |
3 | Verstappen | +9.804 | 6 |
4 | Russell | +11.592 | 5 |
5 | Leclerc | +12.190 | 4 |
6 | Tsunoda | +22.288 | 3 |
7 | Antonelli | +23.038 | 2 |
8 | Norris | +23.471 | 1 |
Results of The Grand Prix
Position | Driver | Time/Retired | Points |
1 | Piastri | 1:30:55.026 | 25 |
2 | Norris | +9.748 | 18 |
3 | Russell | +11.097 | 15 |
4 | Verstappen | +16.656 | 12 |
5 | Ocon | +49.969 | 10 |
6 | Antonelli | +53.748 | 8 |
7 | Albon | +56.321 | 6 |
8 | Bearman | +61.303 | 4 |
9 | Stroll | +70.204 | 2 |
10 | Sainz | +76.387 | 1 |
11 | Hadjar | +78.875 | 0 |
12 | Lawson | +81.147 | 0 |
13 | Doohan | +88.147 | 0 |
14 | Bortoletto | +1 lap | 0 |
15 | Hulkenberg | +1 lap | 0 |
16 | Tsunoda | +1 lap | 0 |
NC | Alonso | DNF | 0 |
DQ | Leclerc | DSQ | 0 |
DQ | Hamilton | DSQ | 0 |
DQ | Gasly | DSQ | 0 |
A Quick Rundown - Key Events
The weekend in Shanghai brought upon many pleasant surprises…
Lewis Hamilton got pole position at the Sprint qualifying, earning himself a Sprint race victory for the first time in his career at Ferrari.
Norris, who was on his way to setting the fastest lap during Sprint qualifying, went off-track at turn 14, losing him pole position
Oscar Piastri scored his first pole position, broke Sebastian Vettel's record and set the fastest lap ever recorded at this track
McLaren scored their 50th 1-2 finish in their constructors history.
Oscar Piastri earned his third Grand Prix victory
But how did it go for each team?
Team By Team Rundown
McLaren
Oscar Piastri – 1st
Piastri secured his third Grand Prix victory with a dominant performance. Despite a slightly slow start forcing him to block Russell at Turn 1, he quickly built a lead over his teammate, Lando Norris. He briefly lost the lead during pit stops but remained in control throughout the race. Piastri praised the team’s hard work and the support from fans, expressing excitement for the upcoming triple-header.
Lando Norris – 2nd
Norris faced challenges, including traffic during pit stops and a late brake issue that nearly cost him P2 on the final lap. Despite this, he was pleased with the result and credited the team for executing a successful one-stop strategy. He emphasized the importance of learning from this weekend ahead of the next race in Japan.
Mercedes
George Russell – 3rd
Russell had a strong race, initially losing out to Norris but staying close to the McLarens. He used the undercut strategy during pit stops to briefly regain the position. Despite being unable to hold off Norris a second time, Russell successfully absorbed pressure from Leclerc and nearly caught Norris when brake issues slowed him down late in the race. He expressed satisfaction with another podium finish, calling it a consistent and positive start to the season.
Kimi Antonelli – 6th
Antonelli's race was compromised by floor damage sustained on lap one, affecting rear grip and pace. He lost positions during pit stops and had to fight back through the midfield to finish P8, securing valuable points despite the setbacks. Grateful for being voted Driver of the Day, he acknowledged the importance of improving his qualifying to avoid early incidents. Antonelli remains optimistic ahead of the next triple-header in Japan, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia.
Red Bull
Max Verstappen – 4th
Verstappen had a slow start, dropping down the field and struggling on medium tyres, unable to keep pace with cars ahead. However, his final stint on hard tyres proved more competitive as fuel levels dropped. He found better grip and matched the frontrunners’ pace, eventually overtaking Leclerc and nearly challenging for a podium before running out of time. Despite the challenges, Verstappen highlighted the positive lessons learned and hopes for a stronger performance in Japan.
Liam Lawson – 12th
Starting from the pit lane with an aggressive setup gamble, Lawson faced difficulties with car balance and pace. Despite performing better in the Sprint, the main race proved challenging, with an early pit stop forcing him onto a slower two-stop strategy. He reflected on the learning experience, acknowledging the need to improve driving consistency.
Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton – DSQ
Hamilton had a solid start but struggled with race pace as the laps progressed. He suggested swapping positions with Leclerc to maximize team results. A two-stop strategy provided late-race pace, but he ran out of time to regain positions. Despite the disqualification due to a skid block infringement, Hamilton reflected positively on the team’s progress since Melbourne.
Charles Leclerc – DSQ
Leclerc sustained front wing damage after colliding with Hamilton at the start, but he opted not to change it to avoid losing time. Despite reduced downforce, he showed strong race pace and fought hard against Russell but couldn't find a way past. Although encouraged by the car's performance, Leclerc expressed disappointment with the post-race disqualification for being under the minimum weight.
Outcome
Both Ferrari drivers were disqualified post-race — Hamilton for a skid block breach and Leclerc for being underweight — nullifying what could have been a respectable double points finish.
Haas
Esteban Ocon – 5th
Ocon delivered an impressive performance, bouncing back strongly after the team’s struggles in Melbourne. Starting on mediums, he pitted early to undercut rivals and made key on-track moves, including overtaking Antonelli. Ocon praised the team’s hard work in unlocking performance and expressed pride in the double points finish.
Oliver Bearman – 8th
Bearman executed a strong race with an alternative strategy, starting on hards and running a long first stint. He displayed excellent pace in the final stages, climbing through the field to secure points. Bearman admitted he didn’t expect a one-stop strategy to work but credited the team for turning things around after a challenging Sprint race.
Outcome
Haas secured double points in China, a significant achievement after recent struggles. Both drivers moved up the order following Ferrari’s double disqualification, amplifying the team’s points haul and marking a well-executed turnaround.
Williams
Alex Albon – 7th
Albon had a challenging start, falling out of the top 10, but executed a long first stint on mediums, briefly leading the race. After pitting, he leveraged his fresher tires to climb back to 9th, later promoted to 7th due to post-race disqualifications. Scoring points on his birthday, Albon highlighted the team’s progress and the valuable learnings from the weekend.
Carlos Sainz – 10th
Sainz struggled for pace throughout the weekend despite getting strategy right. He continued to face difficulties with car performance and fuel saving, resulting in a 13th-place finish, later promoted to 10th. Sainz acknowledged the need to analyze the underlying issues before the next race.
Alpine
Pierre Gasly – DSQ
Gasly had a challenging race but made progress from a lowly grid slot, finishing 11th. However, a post-race disqualification for being under the minimum weight nullified his efforts. He expressed frustration over missing points again but remained optimistic about improving in future races.
Jack Doohan – 15th
Doohan completed a full race distance, gaining valuable experience and engaging in multi-lap battles, notably holding off Hadjar for over 20 laps. A 10-second penalty for forcing another driver wide dropped him from 14th to 16th, later promoted to 15th due to Gasly’s DSQ. Despite the setback, Doohan noted positive takeaways from the race.
Aston Martin
Fernando Alonso – DNF
Alonso's race came to an early end due to dangerously high rear brake temperatures. He expressed relief at returning the car safely and emphasized the team's need to investigate the issue before the upcoming triple-header.
Lance Stroll – 9th
Stroll ran a long first stint on hard tires and stayed in the top 10 for most of the race. However, he fell out of the points by the end due to the one-stop strategy being widely adopted. Post-race disqualifications promoted him to 9th, earning Aston Martin valuable points. Stroll acknowledged the need for more consistent pace.
Racing Bulls
Isack Hadjar – 11th
Hadjar had a strong race with consistent pace and solid battles but narrowly missed out on points after finishing 11th due to post-race disqualifications. He reflected on the missed opportunity and questioned the team's two-stop strategy, believing a one-stop could have yielded better results.
Yuki Tsunoda – 16th
Tsunoda struggled with pace compared to the Sprint race and was later forced into a late stop due to front wing damage. Frustrated with the outcome, he pointed to strategy misjudgments and a bit of bad luck but remained motivated for his home race in Japan.
Kick Sauber
Nico Hulkenberg – 15th
Hulkenberg’s race was marred by a difficult start. He dropped from P12 to P19 after going wide in Turn 1 and almost losing the car in Turn 3, which led to gravel and floor damage. Despite this, he managed to finish the race and gain valuable mileage with the new car. He remained optimistic and eager to return stronger at Suzuka.
Gabriel Bortoleto – 14th
Bortoleto had an even worse start, spinning off and losing time early on. He also had to stop midway through the race, but on fresher hard tires in the closing stages, he managed to finish ahead of Hulkenberg. Despite the disappointing outcome, Bortoleto treated the race as a learning opportunity, particularly in terms of tyre management and understanding the car's performance. He expressed excitement for the Suzuka race, where he hopes for better results.
My Fantasy Teams
The next Grand Prix will take place in Japan on April 6!
