By Joe Murphy
Lewis Hamilton emerged triumphant in the opening Sprint of the 2025 season at the Chinese Grand Prix, delivering a composed and confident performance to secure his first-ever P1 finish for Scuderia Ferrari. The Briton, no stranger to success in Shanghai, added yet another victory to his impressive record at the circuit.
A strong launch off the line saw Hamilton seize control of proceedings from the outset, steadily extending his advantage at the front. Though his SF-25 encountered some tyre graining midway through the race, the seven-time World Champion remained firmly in command, demonstrating imperious form over the 19-lap contest.
Max Verstappen spent the majority of the Sprint running in second place; however, in the closing stages, he found himself overhauled by McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, demoting the Red Bull driver to third. Meanwhile, Mercedes’ George Russell successfully fended off a late challenge from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc to retain fourth place, with the Monegasque forced to settle for fifth.
Yuki Tsunoda delivered an eye-catching performance for Racing Bulls, securing sixth, while Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli built on his points-scoring debut in Melbourne by claiming two more with a solid seventh-place finish. Lando Norris, on the other hand, endured a challenging race after running wide early on, dropping out of the points before recovering to take eighth in the final moments.
With only a single practice session on Friday, Sprint Qualifying had determined the starting order for the first 100km dash of the campaign. The format rewarded the top eight finishers with points, ranging from a maximum of eight for the winner down to a solitary point for eighth place.
He’ll have to do wonders to repeat the feat tomorrow, but if anyone can then Hamilton can.
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