Lewis Hamilton etched his name into Ferrari folklore on Saturday in Shanghai, storming to a commanding victory in the Chinese Grand Prix Sprint event – the first win of his tenure with the Scuderia.
Starting from pole, the seven-time world champion delivered a masterclass over 19 laps, turning Shanghai International Circuit into his personal playground once again.
This triumph, his seventh career success in China, sent the crowd into a frenzy and marked a defining moment in his Ferrari journey.
Tyre wear was a main issue for the majority of the field, with the front-left rubber proving a prickly adversary for competitors.
Hamilton, however, thrived in clean air, shrugging off graining complaints to convert his sprint pole into a victory that felt inevitable from the moment the lights went out.
Behind him, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri trailed in a distant second, 6.8 seconds adrift, while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen secured third after a late tussle with the Aussie.
The leading trio broke away early, leaving the midfield to scrap over scraps. But Hamilton’s dominance wasn’t without its tests. Mid-race, Verstappen sniffed an opportunity, hounding the Ferrari for a couple of laps as tyre degradation loomed large.
But the Briton’s pace held firm, and when Verstappen’s challenge faded, Piastri pounced, snatching second from the Dutchman on lap 15. By then, Hamilton had already built a near-five-second cushion, cruising into the final laps with the win all but sealed.
Further back, the sprint was a tale of missed chances and gritty recoveries. Championship leader Lando Norris endured a torrid outing, his McLaren slipping from sixth on the grid to ninth after a costly Turn 6 blunder on the opening lap.
The Australian Grand Prix winner spent the race clawing through traffic, finally muscling past Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin on the penultimate lap to snag eighth and the final point. Stroll, meanwhile, held firm in seventh, fending off Norris for much of the race.
Mercedes’ George Russell shone early, slipping past Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by the end of lap one to claim fourth, a position he’d defend to the finish.
Leclerc, unable to counterattack, settled for fifth, while Racing Bulls’ Yuki Tsunoda delivered a standout drive to sixth, keeping rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli at bay.
At the rear, Red Bull’s Liam Lawson, starting last, ignited the action with a wheel-banging duel against Alpine’s Jack Doohan. The stewards waved it off as fair racing, and Lawson’s charge netted him a hard-fought 14th.
Up front, Hamilton’s victory lap was a love letter to the Chinese fans, who roared as the 40-year-old soaked in the moment. Crossing the line, he punched the air, the Ferrari red gleaming under Shanghai’s lights—a sight that felt both new and timeless.
For Hamilton, Shanghai has always been a happy hunting ground. Now, with his first Ferrari triumph in the books, the paddock buzzes with one question: is this the spark of something even greater?
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