Piastri's perfect score in China, a double for McLaren

A well-executed affair. This is how the performance ofOscar piastri et McLaren on the occasion of the Chinese Grand Prix this Sunday.

Starting from pole position, the Australian was unstoppable throughout the 56 laps of this second race of the season. Perhaps the only scary moment was at the start, when he had to elbow his way past George Russell, who was sharing the front row with him and whose reaction to the lights going out was very good.

This little battle at the front was good for Lando NorrisThird on the grid, the Englishman took advantage of the opportunity to get between the two men, allowing McLaren to secure the first two positions on the first lap and thus be able to calmly put its strategy in place.

THE START OF THE CHINESE GRAND PRIX 🇨🇳

Oscar Piastri keeps the lead and the 2 Ferrari spend Max Verstappen 💥#ChineseGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/mG5Ib5gwIk

— CANAL+ F1® (@CanalplusF1) March 23, 2025

However, George Russell was not quickly left behind, the driver Mercedes being a real threat when it came to making pit stops. It was Oscar Piastri who fired first at the end of lap 14, imitated by George Russell before Lando Norris did the same on the following lap.

This had the merit of tightening up the leading trio and even allowing George Russell to reclaim second position. A short-lived joy for the Mercedes driver, who lost on lap 18 to the striking force of Lando Norris and his McLaren.

The rest of the Chinese Grand Prix was a walk in the park for the Woking team, or almost. Oscar Piastri eventually pulled away, while Lando Norris, affected by a recalcitrant brake pedal late in the race, secured a one-two finish despite his engineer's requests not to apply too much pressure on the brakes. Nevertheless, the championship leader had a very close call on the final lap when his lead went from 8 seconds to just over a second. Indeed, he was forced to ease off considerably, and George Russell almost took advantage, ultimately settling for third place on the podium, his second in as many races.

OSCAR PIASTRI VICTORY AND MCLAREN DOUBLE IN SHANGHAI 💥

George Russell also takes the podium 🤝
Esteban Ocon brings back the first points for Haas 💥#ChineseGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/DAh9oK8Ugu

— CANAL+ F1® (@CanalplusF1) March 23, 2025

Far from the mark and having fallen to 6th place at the start of the race, Max Verstappen recovered in the final third to regain the lead over the Ferraris. Taking advantage of a second pit stop Lewis Hamilton, the four-time world champion had free rein to attack Charles LeclercA successful mission for the Dutchman who recovered his initial 4th position.

Mixed fortunes for the French team this Sunday. Seventh on the grid and in contention for his first F1 points, Isack Hadjar didn't have the best race of his career. Trapped by the two-stop strategy and held back by a tough Jack Doohan, the Racing Bulls driver could do no better than 14th. Pierre Gasly managed to climb back from 16th place but was held back at the gates of the points, finishing around 6 seconds behind Oliver Bearman, in the Top 10 for the first time this season.

Esteban Ocon helped Haas secure a double points finish. The driver from Normandy put in a very solid performance by relying on a single pit stop this Sunday. A strategy that paid off, as he managed to secure 7th place under the checkered flag.

The only dropout to note is that of Fernando AlonsoAffected by a brake problem, the Spaniard returned to his garage on the 4th lap. In two Grands Prix this year, he has not yet seen the finish.

In the championship, Lando Norris remains in the lead with 44 points. Behind him, the race is very close, with Max Verstappen, George Russell, and Oscar Piastri within two points of each, with 2, 36, and 35 points respectively.

The next round of the 2025 season will take place in two weeks at Suzuka for the Japanese Grand Prix.

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