F1 championship battle takes shape in China

Formula One
While it was only the second race of potentially the most competitive season of F1 yet, the race for the championship is beginning to take form.
Iréne-Mari van der Walt
  • 3 Days Ago
Despite the Chinese Grand Prix being only the second race of the season, it may already have been a decisive weekend in the Formula One Driver's championship, with Lando Norris getting his elbows out on the standings.

After the Shanghai sprint race, Norris had a very shaky lead with only two points over Max Verstappen.

With the McLaren driver only able to bring home one single point while Verstappen earned a haul of seven points, it may have at one point appeared that Norris may only lead the championship for seven days.

This, however, is not the case as Norris is set to lead for at least 21 days until the F1 world championship continues at the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka on the weekend of 6 April.

Norris’ teammate Oscar Piastri won for the first time in 2025 after earning his first pole position in his F1 career with a record time of 1:30.641. The result by Norris and Piastri marked McLaren's 30th one-two finish in F1.

Meanwhile, Fernando Alonso is yet to finish a race, following his retirement from the feature race due to a brake issue after also retiring from the sprint race on Saturday. Liam Lawson still grapples with his Red Bull ending 12th in China, after a DNF in Australia.

Verstappen has, however, appeared to come to his new teammate's defence, saying that Lawson would have performed better in a Racing Bulls machine than he currently is in his Red Bull car, citing the Kiwi's lack of performance as proof of car troubles.

“If you look at the difference between the two drivers at the other teams, they are all closer together ... It also shows that our car is extremely tricky. I think when you put Liam in the Racing Bulls' car, he goes harder. I really think so.

“That car is easier to drive than ours. I also notice that when I talk to Liam. Last year, I didn't think the difference between him and Yuki Tsunoda was that big. Otherwise the team wouldn't make the choice to put him in at Red Bull either," the Dutch driver told De Telegraaf.



Ferrari disqualified

While it seemed that seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton's car troubles were a thing of the past when he won the sprint race on Saturday, Hamilton was later disqualified after post-race scrutineering uncovered his floor was too thin.

His Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc managed to complete the majority of the race with a broken front wing, but it was all in vain as he was later disqualified for an underweight car – even after a replacement front wing was added.

Pierre Gasley (Alpine) was disqualified for the same reason as Leclerc, and thus Lance Stroll inherits 9th place and Carlos Sainz earns his first point of the season with an inherited 10th place.

The Italian driver Kimi Antonelli also managed points in eighth place with floor damage, Mercedes confirmed in their post-race report. His teammate George Russell earned his team's 300th podium finish in F1.

This was also the first F1 weekend that Eddie Jordan, the founder of Jordan Grand Prix, now Aston Martin, was not alive to witness. Jordan, a personality known for his vigour, passion for motorsport and keen eye for racing talent, passed on Thursday in Cape Town, South Africa at the age of 76 after a battle with cancer. He leaves behind his wife Marie and their four children; Zoe, Kyle, Miki and Zak.