Australian driver Oscar Piastri claimed his first Formula One victory in a thrilling Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday, leading a McLaren one-two finish as both Ferrari drivers faced disqualification.
Piastri, starting from pole position, delivered a flawless performance to secure the win, denying teammate Lando Norris a third consecutive victory.
“It’s been an incredible weekend,” Piastri said over the team radio. “The car was simply amazing. This is the result I’ve been aiming for.”
Norris, battling brake issues, held on to finish second, 9.748 seconds behind Piastri. “It’s like my worst nightmare,” Norris admitted. “I was a bit scared but we survived and got to the end.”
Mercedes’ George Russell clinched third place, while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen finished fourth. Verstappen now trails Norris by eight points in the championship standings after two race weekends.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Saturday’s sprint winner Lewis Hamilton initially finished fifth and sixth but were disqualified post-race after their cars failed technical inspections. Leclerc’s car was underweight, and Hamilton’s showed excessive skid wear.
An early collision between Leclerc and Hamilton saw Leclerc’s front wing damaged. Despite the missing end-plate, Ferrari opted not to replace the wing during pit stops, allowing Leclerc to maintain speed.
Hamilton pitted for fresh tires on lap 38, but the strategy didn’t pay off as he couldn’t close the gap to Verstappen. “I’ve been hit by someone,” Hamilton exclaimed during the race after the contact with Leclerc.
McLaren now leads the constructors’ championship by 21 points over Mercedes. Italian rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli moved up to sixth place following the disqualifications.
Piastri’s victory marks a significant turnaround after a disappointing start to the season, where he finished ninth in Melbourne following a front-row start but skidded off the track.
