F1 2025’s second race of the season in Shanghai was held in vastly completely different circumstances than Melbourne’s mixed-weather thriller, however this week’s winners-losers part options some acquainted figures.
Oscar Piastri, McLaren
Picture by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Pictures
If a composed wet-dry-wet win in Australia confirmed Lando Norris is driving like a title contender, then team-mate Oscar Piastri has answered together with his personal assertion of intent over the Shanghai weekend. Eager to take revenge for the unfortunate off in his dwelling race that dropped him to ninth, the Australian appeared the superior McLaren driver all weekend and produced a cool, virtually boringly beautiful pole-to-flag drive on Sunday – a maiden F1 pole and a 3rd profession grand prix win.
After he bided his time, Norris’ late brake points prevented him from mounting a problem, however Piastri’s win by no means actually appeared unsure, having additionally trumped Norris within the dash qualifying and race. Norris absolutely by no means simply assumed he would have it his personal approach this yr, however Piastri has undoubtedly proven indicators that he has taken learnings from an inconsistent 2024 marketing campaign and develop into a stronger contender already. With one win apiece, each drivers’ title campaigns are up and operating.
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Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Picture by: Jade Gao – Getty Pictures
Lewis Hamilton’s glorious pole-to-flag win in China’s dash was a welcome tonic for each followers of the seven-time world champion and the tifosi. However when it got here to the principle grand prix, Ferrari appeared to fall again to its pure spot in qualifying because the McLarens produced a cleaner Q3 this time. As Charles Leclerc identified after the race, it’s a lot tougher to carry out miracles from the third row, however neither driver appeared notably relaxed. They had been ultimately powerless to maintain Max Verstappen at bay after a woeful medium-tyre opening stint for the Dutchman.
Leclerc’s faucet with Hamilton firstly might have ended a complete lot worse, but when anybody can clarify why the Monegasque nonetheless loved higher race tempo regardless of a damaged entrance wing – and Ferrari subsequently rightfully swapped locations – please ship your solutions on a postcard to Maranello. Ferrari could have prevented this class by hanging on to its 18-point haul on Sunday, however afterwards each drivers had been disqualified for 2 completely different technical infractions: Leclerc for his automobile being underweight and Hamilton for extreme skid put on. The excellent news is there’s potential on this SF-25, the unhealthy information is the Scuderia hasn’t been extracting it but on Sundays.
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Winner: Max Verstappen
Max Verstappen, Pink Bull Racing, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Picture by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Pictures
You need to hand it to Max Verstappen. One week after swooping in to smash and seize second in Australia, the Dutchman snatched one other consequence his flawed RB21 did not actually deserve. Verstappen has developed an air of inevitability, extracting greater than the automobile appears able to, as we’ll focus on additional beneath. However amid Pink Bull’s woes, Verstappen one way or the other heads to Japan sitting second within the drivers’ championship.
It stays to be seen how lengthy the four-time champ can keep there, nevertheless it will not be for an absence of making an attempt. Arguably, the best way he has been manhandling the 2025 Pink Bull is as spectacular – if no more – than a few of his title-winning campaigns.
Loser: Pink Bull
Liam Lawson, Pink Bull Racing
Picture by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Pictures
However even the fast and mercurially proficient Verstappen would not have the escape velocity to defy the gravity of Pink Bull’s downturn. Incoming Liam Lawson has been going by way of a shiver-inducing nightmare of a Pink Bull stint, and even dangers dealing with the axe as early as Japan, in keeping with our sources.
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However whereas Yuki Tsunoda could or could not have been a greater choose, Lawson’s failure to stand up to hurry to this point can also be Pink Bull’s.
Pink Bull has burnt a number of drivers in that second seat now, and it’s clear the staff has not addressed the automobile steadiness woes that annoyed Verstappen and defeated Sergio Perez final yr, with Verstappen asserting that Lawson would have been a lot faster driving the sister staff’s Racing Bulls automobile.
Probably linked to the automobile’s lack of consistency, the outfit may have some soul looking out to do to deal with its crippling tyre degradation points, with Verstappen nowhere within the opening medium-tyre stint in China, delivery a mean of round eight tenths to the McLarens. However its season is not headed for full catastrophe simply but, with a lot improved tempo on exhausting tyres providing extra hope that inherently Pink Bull can nonetheless get close to McLaren, given a much-needed spherical of updates.
Winner: Haas
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Group
Picture by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Pictures
We had been genuinely frightened for Haas after a sobering Australia curtain raiser, however the staff has reacted to the VF-25’s poor maiden outing in the absolute best approach with a double factors end. On the usual medium-hard strategy- however with a really early pitstop that labored out nicely – Esteban Ocon confirmed strong velocity, passing the likes of Andrea Kimi Antonelli with two wheels on the grass to seventh on the highway, which turned a spectacular fifth after the double exclusion of the Ferraris.
Credit score additionally goes to Oliver Bearman after the British rookie rebounded from a messy weekend in Melbourne. Having certified additional again, Bearman banked on a reverse hard-medium technique, unknowingly dealing with the duty of an especially lengthy stint on the extra brittle medium tyres. However Bearman held agency and acquired his elbows out in site visitors to choose up a degree, which ended up turning into 4 by the point the Shanghai scrutineers had packed up.
“Everybody has a failure, however failure should not outline you. What defines you is the way you stand up from that failure, and I feel as a complete staff we confirmed that,” a buoyant staff boss Ayao Komatsu mused. The aerodynamic downside Haas found in Australia continues to be there, even when it went comparatively unpunished in China, however the staff capitalised on the alternatives this weekend threw its approach. You’ll be able to’t ask for greater than that.
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Loser: Racing Bulls
Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber, Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Group, Yuki Tsunoda, RB F1 Group
Picture by: Pink Bull Content material Pool
A repeat entrant on this class is Pink Bull’s satellite tv for pc staff, which for the second consecutive weekend noticed a grand alternative to financial institution huge factors go begging by getting its technique improper. Each Yuki Tsunoda and Isack Hadjar caught to the anticipated two-stop technique, as a substitute of following the mainstream’s push in direction of a one-stopper. Tsunoda might but have scored factors if his vibrating entrance wing hadn’t alarmingly collapsed, however in case you have a look at the place Haas has completed… that ought to have been you.
There are positives for the Anglo-Italian staff, although. There’s extra proof its automobile is quick throughout completely different layouts and observe circumstances, and Hadjar has rebounded admirably from his nightmare Australia exit with a massively spectacular weekend, outqualifying Tsunoda in all three qualifying phases on Saturday.
George Russell, Mercedes
Picture by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Pictures
Amid all of the chatter about McLaren’s formidable velocity and Hamilton’s dash success for Ferrari, George Russell has seemingly quietly nestled himself proper in between Verstappen and Piastri within the drivers’ championship with a wonderful weekend. Russell had no enterprise splitting the McLarens in qualifying – courtesy of a Norris slip-up on the hairpin – and gave it a superb go making an attempt to undercut his fellow Briton within the race.
Russell was powerless to withstand the faster McLaren however completed nicely away from Mercedes’ direct rivals to assert his second podium in as many races.
That consistency goes to go a good distance when the highest groups are so intently matched, and to this point he has had the measure of his inexperienced however quick team-mate Andrea Kimi Antonelli, which he admitted he is not taking without any consideration.
Pierre Gasly, Alpine
Picture by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Pictures
Carlos Sainz nearly escapes an entry once more after not getting in control with the Williams as shortly as he would have favored. Somewhat bit extra complicated is Alpine, which appeared able to scrapping with Williams and Racing Bulls in Bahrain testing – if not barely forward on long-run tempo relying on who you ask.
However after the China weekend, Alpine is now the one staff to not rating factors but, having missed an opportunity to learn from Ferrari’s double DSQ by Pierre Gasly’s automobile being thrown out as nicely for lacking the burden restrict. Jack Doohan is acquitting himself nicely, being very near Gasly on one-lap efficiency, however equally did not have the race tempo to flee the underside of the pack and copped a 10-second penalty for elbowing Hadjar out of the best way.
Alpine clearly has a significantly better beginning package deal than final yr’s obese machine, however in the meanwhile will probably be annoyed to only be on the improper aspect of what’s an especially shut midfield.
On this article
Filip Cleeren
Method 1
Max Verstappen
George Russell
Oscar Piastri
Ferrari
Pink Bull Racing
Racing Bulls
Haas F1 Group
Alpine
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