Hamilton silences "yapping" critics as Ferrari driver wins Chinese Sprint Race

Rhonan Colquhoun 13:19pm 23rd March 2025

FERRARI'S Lewis Hamilton converted Sprint Pole Position into victory after a commanding win over the 19 Lap Sprint Race.

Hamilton, who claimed a surprise Sprint Pole, shared the front-row with 2021 Title rival Red Bull's Max Verstappen with Oscar Piastri the lead McLaren driver in third.

Hamilton led as the lights went out ahead of Verstappen while Piastri fended-off an attack from Ferrari's Charles Leclerc who then was overtaken for fourth by Mercedes' George Russell.

BACK ON TOP: Hamilton embraces father Anthony Hamilton who wins a race for the first time since Belgium 2024

The gaps between all 20 drivers ebbed and flowed throughout the whole race with the majority of drivers keeping within DRS range of each other. With the Shanghai International Circuit being resurfaced ahead of this year's event, the track is smoother and has more grip which has led to such quick lap times. However, it has also led to drivers struggling to control their tyre temperatures and maintain grip particularly in their front tyres.

Despite having a glance at overtaking Hamilton, Verstappen fell behind from the Ferrari driver into the clutches of Piastri who overtook the Red Bull driver with a few laps remaining.

Piastri then set about chasing Hamilton, but in clean air, the Seven Time World Champion waltzed into a commanding lead - crossing the chequered flag with a winning margin of nearly seven seconds.

By winning the race, Hamilton also gave Ferrari their first Sprint win since the Sprint format was introduced in 2021.

Post-race, Hamilton addressed that he had faced a lot of criticism after a difficult weekend in Australia despite the season-opener being the Brit's first time with his new team.

"The amount of critics and people I've heard yapping along the way"

Piastri pulled away from Verstappen as the Dutchman settled for third despite a late charge by Russell and Leclerc who were both catching the Reigning Champion, who reported his front tyres were "dead", by a second a lap in the final three laps.

Racing Bulls Yuki Tsunoda brilliantly held onto sixth place ahead of Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli while McLaren's Lando Norris claimed eighth and the championship point.

The Championship leader started the race in sixth but an error - running wide on the entry to Turn 3 which resulted in the Brit getting dirt on his tyre - dropped him to ninth place. It was a tough race for the Australian Grand Prix winner who said that "front graining" is still his biggest nightmare.

Aston Martin's Lance Stroll finished ninth but had been running in the points before Norris made an overtake on the penultimate lap regulated to outside the top eight.

Down the order, Haas's Oliver Bearman was comfortably running in 12th place for the majority of the race before three overtakes - made by Pierre Gasly, Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson - pushed the British driver down to 15th, finishing ahead of team-mate Esteban Ocon.

Williams Carlos Sainz Jr continued to struggle with the Spaniard opting to on Lap 13 - after being overtaken by Hadjar and Lawson - onto a new set of Medium tyres. The former Ferrari driver put the tyres to good use - lapping two seconds a lap quicker than the leaders - and finished 17th.

A last-lap dive on fellow rookie Gabriel Bortoleto saw Alpine's Jack Doohan handed a 10-second time penalty for spinning the Kick Sauber driver at Turn 14. As a result, Doohan was the last classified driver in 20th as all finished the 19 Lap Sprint.