Lewis Hamilton dominated the Sprint at the 2025 FIA Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix, winning from pole to take his first Formula 1 victory for Ferrari ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen. 

When the lights went out at the start, Hamilton reacted best to take the lead ahead of Verstappen and Piastri. Behind them, in Turn 6, sixth place starter Lando Norris momentarily lost control when he put wheel beyond the kerb and the championship leader dropped back to ninth behind Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll who was then able to keep the Briton at bay for a large part of the race. 

At the start of lap two, as Hamilton began to build a gap, Mercedes’ George Russell ambushed Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc to steal fourth place. 

At the back of the field Liam Lawson who started 19th banged wheels with Jack Doohan as he elbowed past but though the incident was investigated the New Zealander the place and eventually manged to claw his 14th at the flag as he sought to redeem himself following a difficult Sprint qualifying. 

At the front, Hamilton began to suffer with front tyre graining and that briefly allowed Verstappen to get within DRS range and put pressure on the Ferrari driver. However, after a couple of laps in the turbulent wake behind the Ferrari, the Dutchman’s front tyres also began to suffer badly and any threat Hamilton might have been under evaporated. 

Verstappen’s tyre woes dropped him back into DRS range of Piastri and the McLaren driver was swift to attack. The Australian was able to hang on to his tyres for enough laps to close in on the Red Bull and at the end of lap he stormed past the defending champion to take second. 

The squabble between the McLaren and the Red Bull allowed Hamilton to pull away slightly, and in clean air the seven-time champion powered to a strong lead of almost seven seconds that he carried to the flag. 

Behind the top three, Russell came under heavy pressure from Leclerc towards the end of the race. However, with the Ferrari driver reporting that his car was undriveable in Turn 13, where he repeatedly slide offline, the Mercedes driver was able to hold on to take fourth. 

Yuki Tsunoda put in a good performance to take sixth for Racing Bulls, keeping Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli behind as Norris eventually found a way past Stroll to take eighth place and the final point.

2025 FIA Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix – Sprint 
1 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 19 - 
2 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 19 6.889
3 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 19 9.804
4 George Russell Mercedes 19 11.592
5 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 19 12.190
6 Yuki Tsunoda Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT 19 22.288
7 Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 19 23.038
8 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 19 23.471
9 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 19 24.916
10 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 19 38.218
11 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 19 39.292
12 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 19 39.649
13 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT 19 42.400
14 Liam Lawson Red Bull/Honda RBPT 19 44.904
15 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 19 45.649
16 Esteban Ocon Haas/Ferrari 19 46.182
17 Carlos Sainz Williams/Mercedes 19 51.376
18 Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber/Ferrari 19 53.940
19 Nico Hülkenberg Sauber/Ferrari 19 56.682
20 Jack Doohan Alpine/Renault 19 1'00.212