Before the race, all drivers in the top 10 opted for medium tyres.
Oscar Piastri and George Russell had strong starts, maintaining their positions. Although Russell closed in on Piastri approaching the first corner, he couldn’t take the lead. Meanwhile, Lando Norris, starting from third, overtook Russell to move into second.
Ferrari drivers each gained a position to move up to fourth and fifth, while Max Verstappen lost two places. However, Leclerc made contact with Hamilton in the first corner, damaging his front wing.
Further back, Gabriel Bortoleto spun, bringing out yellow flags, but he managed to continue without further issues.
By lap 4, Fernando Alonso’s brakes caught fire, forcing him to slow down. Over the radio, he informed his team that his brakes had failed, resulting in his retirement from the race.
After 10 laps, Piastri maintained a 1.6-second lead over his teammate Norris, with Russell, Hamilton, and Leclerc rounding out the top five. Verstappen, having lost positions at the start, fell 5 seconds behind Leclerc, who was struggling with a damaged front wing.
Due to increasing wear on the front left tyres, several drivers pitted for hard tyres.
On lap 16, Norris pitted and rejoined the track in heavy traffic, falling behind Russell. However, he managed to regain the position on lap 18.
Norris, still on a charge, finally overtook Albon — who had yet to pit — on lap 20 to reclaim second place.
A team order was issued to Hamilton on lap 20, instructing him to let Leclerc pass. By lap 21, the order was executed, and the running order was Piastri, Norris, Russell, Leclerc, and Hamilton. Leclerc, now ahead, closed in on Russell and entered the DRS range by lap 26.
Despite pressuring Russell, Leclerc made a mistake at Turn 14 on lap 30, losing time and dropping out of DRS range.
By lap 37, Verstappen began to chase Hamilton, who later pitted for hard tyres and rejoined behind the Dutchman.
Tsunoda’s front wing sustained damage while running through dirty air on the start-finish straight, forcing the Japanese driver to pit.
Norris raised his concern regarding brake pedals over the radio, with McLaren confirming the issue and advising caution while braking.
Meanwhile, Doohan, running in 14th place, received a 10-second penalty for forcing Hadjar off the track.
On lap 53, Verstappen passed Leclerc to take fourth place.
As Norris struggled with his brake issues, Piastri comfortably led the race towards victory. Russell closed in on Norris, but the race concluded before a further attack could be made. Piastri secured his third career win, with Norris in second and Russell completing the podium.
Verstappen finished fourth, followed by Leclerc and Hamilton. Esteban Ocon made significant progress, gaining four positions to finish seventh, followed by Antonelli, Albon, and Bearman, who gained seven places to complete the top 10. Both Haas drivers finished in the points.
Note: Following post-race technical inspections, Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton, and Pierre Gasly were disqualified from the Chinese Grand Prix.
The disqualification of Leclerc and Hamilton, who finished fifth and sixth, was a major blow for Ferrari. Gasly, who finished 11th and outside the points, did not impact Alpine’s results significantly.
As a result, Esteban Ocon was promoted to fifth, while Kimi Antonelli, Alex Albon, and Oliver Bearman moved up. Lance Stroll and Carlos Sainz claimed the final points positions.
Final Top 10 Results After Disqualifications:
- Oscar Piastri, McLaren Racing
- Lando Norris, McLaren Racing
- George Russell, Mercedes AMG F1 Team
- Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
- Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team
- Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes AMG F1 Team
- Alex Albon, Williams Racing
- Ollie Bearman, Haas F1 Team
- Lance Stroll, Aston Martin F1 Team
- Carlos Sainz, Williams Racing
Watch 2025 Chinese GP Race Highlights HERE!
