F1 news LIVE: Liam Lawson’s future at Red Bull in doubt with Yuki Tsunoda in line to replace him

F1 CHINESE GRAND PRIX - LATEST UPDATES

• Liam Lawson's future at Red Bull in doubt ahead of Japan GP
• Christian Horner refuses to rule out Lawson-Tsunoda swap
• Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc disqualified post-race
• COMMENT: Lewis Hamilton’s shock disqualification tells us one thing: Ferrari have hit rock bottom
• Click HERE for full F1 driver standings after the DSQs

FULL STORY: Christian Horner refuses to rule out Yuki Tsunoda replacing Liam Lawson at Red Bull

Christian Horner did not dismiss speculation that Yuki Tsunoda could replace under-fire Liam Lawson at Red Bull for the next F1 race in Japan.

Lawson has endured a torrid opening two races as Max Verstappen’s teammate: he crashed out of the season-opening Australian GP and qualified last on the grid, twice, in China.

The New Zealander himself acknowledged he does “not have time” on his hands to turn around his form, while various outlets reported post-race in Shanghai that Red Bull were considering a shock swap for the Japanese Grand Prix, with Racing Bulls driver Tsunoda in line to replace Lawson.

Full quotes below:

Christian Horner refuses to rule out Yuki Tsunoda replacing Liam Lawson at Red Bull

F1 driver standings after Chinese Grand Prix

1. Lando Norris – 44 points

2. Max Verstappen – 36 points

3. George Russell – 35 points

4. Oscar Piastri – 34 points

5. Kimi Antonelli – 22 points

6. Alex Albon – 16 points

7. Esteban Ocon – 10 points

8. Lance Stroll – 10 points

9. Lewis Hamilton – 9 points

10. Charles Leclerc – 8 points

11. Nico Hulkenberg – 6 points

12. Yuki Tsunoda – 3 points

13. Ollie Bearman – 1 point

14. Carlos Sainz – 1 point

15. Pierre Gasly – 0 points

16. Isack Hadjar – 0 points

17. Jack Doohan – 0 points

18. Gabriel Bortoleto – 0 points

19. Yuki Tsunoda – 0 points

20. Fernando Alonso – 0 points

VIDEO: Liam Lawson reacts after another tough weekend for Red Bull

Will Red Bull give Liam the time he needs? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/WVDAiOarWJ

— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) March 23, 2025

FERRARI STATEMENT ON DSQs

“Following the FIA post-race scrutineering both our cars were found not to conform to the regulations for different reasons.

“Car 16 was found to be underweight by 1 kg and car 44’s rearward skid wear was found to be 0.5mm below the limit.

“Charles was on a one-stop strategy today and this meant his tyre wear was very high, causing the car to be underweight.

“With regard to Lewis’ skid wear, we misjudged the consumption by a small margin.

“There was no intention to gain any advantage. We will learn from what happened today and make sure we don’t make the same mistakes again.

“Clearly it’s not the way we wanted to end our Chinese GP weekend, neither for ourselves, nor for our fans whose support for us is unwavering.”

Lewis Hamilton, after finishing sixth:

Hamilton spoke prior to news of his DSQ:

On two-stop strategy: “I’m glad that we tried something, I was struggling with performance.

“Ultimately we had a pretty decent car in the sprint, we made some changes and made it worse. Lots to learn, the pit stop is too long here and they were still going fast at the end, Verstappen was doing the same times as me and I had fresher tyres, it wasn’t great.”

On changes post-sprint: “We made it quite a bit worse, I hadn’t tested it, we both went that way and it was bad.

“I know not to do that again.”

Ollie Bearman after finishing 8th:

“Super happy, we did a great job – good execution on everything. I wasn’t expecting to do a one-stop, but the tyres lasted much better and we did a great job with setup changes. The car was so good today.

“This track suits what we have, on paper it’s good for our car. Very smooth, not many bumps, it is partly due to the track.”

Liam Lawson painfully honest after torrid start to Red Bull F1 career: ‘It’s just not good enough’

Liam Lawson did not make any excuses as he reflected on a torrid start to his Red Bull F1 career at the Chinese Grand Prix.

The Kiwi driver, promoted to be Max Verstappen’s teammate this year as he replaced Sergio Perez, crashed out of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in wet conditions last week

Yet this weekend in Shanghai has been even worse, so far. Lawson qualified dead last for the sprint race on Saturday – though moved up to finish 14th – but did not improve his one-lap pace in grand prix qualifying, finishing last once more.

Full quotes below:

Lawson painfully honest after torrid start to Red Bull F1 career: ‘Not good enough’

NEW TOP-10 - CHINESE GP

As a result of Hamilton (6th), Leclerc (5th) and Gasly’s (11th) DSQ - here is the new top-10:

1. Oscar Piastri

2. Lando Norris

3. George Russell

4. Max Verstappen

5. Esteban Ocon

6. Kimi Antonelli

7. Alex Albon

8. Ollie Bearman

9. Lance Stroll

10. Carlos Sainz

COMMENT: Lewis Hamilton’s shock disqualification tells us one thing: Ferrari have already hit rock bottom

Twenty-four hours is a long time in Formula One. Just on Saturday, Lewis Hamilton was riding high, optimism radiating, after his first taste of victory in the famous Ferrari red, albeit in the shorter sprint format.

By Sunday night, long after dusk fell in Shanghai, the Briton and his beleaguered team had hit rock bottom.

Full report below:

Hamilton’s shock DSQ tells us one thing: Ferrari have already hit rock bottom

EXPLAINER; Why was Lewis Hamilton disqualified from Chinese Grand Prix?

Lewis Hamilton’s rollercoaster start to life at Ferrari continued as he was dramatically disqualified after the conclusion of the Chinese Grand Prix.

After the highs of Saturday’s victory in the sprint race, having shockingly qualified on pole the previous day, Hamilton’s weekend took a downward turn come Sunday’s full race.

Having made contact with Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc on the opening lap, causing damage to the Monegasque’s front wing, the Brit struggled for pace around the Shanghai racetrack – resorting to a two-stop strategy in the desperate hope that fresh tyres would help him find some extra speed.

That turned out to be a forlorn hope however, as he eventually crossed the line in sixth, one spot behind Leclerc and well off the pace of dominant McLaren pair Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris up front, who sealed a one-two.

Things then got worse for the seven-time world champion as he was disqualified after the race, seeing the eight points wiped from his championship tally. It was an incredibly busy post-race period for the stewards and F1 officials as Leclerc and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly were also disqualified alongside Hamilton.

Here’s everything you need to know about the disqualifications:

Why was Lewis Hamilton disqualified from Chinese Grand Prix?

F1 constructor standings after Chinese Grand Prix

1. McLaren - 78 points

2. Mercedes - 57 points

3. Red Bull - 36 points

4. Williams - 17 points

5. Ferrari - 17 points

6. Haas - 14 points

7. Aston Martin - 10 points

8. Sauber - 6 points

9. Racing Bulls - 3 points

10. Alpine - 0 points

VIDEO: Lewis Hamilton reacts after sprint win

Lewis' immediate reaction after winning for Ferrari for the first time ☝️ pic.twitter.com/2OvJbS5esa

— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) March 22, 2025

TIMELINE: Eddie Jordan’s extraordinary career from Dublin banker to F1 team owner

Former Formula One team owner Eddie Jordan has died aged 76, his family have announced.

The Irishman revealed in December he was suffering with bladder and prostate cancer which had spread to his spine and pelvis.

A family statement, published by rugby club London Irish where Jordan was a patron, said he “passed away peacefully with family by his side in Cape Town” on Thursday.

Eddie Jordan’s extraordinary career from Dublin banker to F1 team owner

Formula 1 in talks over new grand prix with Stefano Domenicali ‘impressed’ by plans

A new grand prix in Bangkok could soon come to fruition after Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali paid a visit to Thailand to discuss plans.

Domenicali travelled to the Asian country in the days following last weekend’s season opener in Australia, meeting Thai prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.

There, he heard about the nation’s ambitions to stage an inaugural F1 race on its streets.

Thailand is one of several countries eager to join an already packed calendar - but with the Dutch Grand Prix’s impending departure from the schedule in 2026, there may just be space for a new race down the line.

Oscar Piastri on team radio:

“Mega job guys, mega job. Car was very lovely, good work with reacting on the deg – great team weekend, that is one satisfying weekend!”

"That is one satisfying weekend!" 🟠

Oscar Piastri reacts to winning the Chinese Grand Prix 🤩 pic.twitter.com/sEXj01TlT8

— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) March 23, 2025

Max Verstappen after finishing fourth:

“We set out to do our own pace, the tyres were in a decent shape when we pitted but it’s not how we want to race. A lot to analyse I think, the second stint was more positive and promising.

“I try to do the best I can, not thinking about anything else. Feel good in life in general, that’s what matters the most.”

Rock-and-roll Eddie Jordan gave Schumacher his debut – and his flamboyance captivated F1’s paddock

An old-school Irishman of quick wit and vibrancy, Eddie Jordan was a Formula One figure whose influence touched every corner of motorsport’s most-famed paddock throughout a career in the sport lasting over 30 years.

From a promising race driver and savvy team owner to a captivating broadcaster and erudite manager, Jordan’s sad passing at the age of 76 on Thursday, after a year-long battle with cancer, has sent shockwaves through a sport now in its pomp.

Full tribute below:

Rock-and-roll Eddie Jordan had an Irish flamboyance which captivated F1’s paddock

Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur unhappy with 'joke' broadcast of Hamilton-Leclerc swap in China GP

“This is a joke from FOM (Formula One Management), because the first call came from Lewis to swap. Lewis suggested it.

“But to make the show, to create the mess around the situation, they did not broadcast the first part of the exchange. So I will discuss it with them.

“We have to work for the team and consider the best thing for Ferrari. The collaboration between the two guys (Hamilton and Leclerc) is mega and I cannot complain about it.”

EXPLAINER: Why was Lewis Hamilton disqualified from Chinese Grand Prix?

Why was Lewis Hamilton disqualified from Chinese Grand Prix?

F1 driver standings after the three DSQs

1. Lando Norris – 44 points

2. Max Verstappen – 36 points

3. George Russell – 35 points

4. Oscar Piastri – 34 points

5. Kimi Antonelli – 22 points

6. Alex Albon – 16 points

7. Esteban Ocon – 10 points

8. Lance Stroll – 10 points

9. Lewis Hamilton – 9 points

10. Charles Leclerc – 8 points

11. Nico Hulkenberg – 6 points

12. Yuki Tsunoda – 3 points

13. Ollie Bearman – 1 point

14. Carlos Sainz – 1 point

15. Pierre Gasly – 0 points

16. Isack Hadjar – 0 points

17. Jack Doohan – 0 points

18. Gabriel Bortoleto – 0 points

19. Yuki Tsunoda – 0 points

20. Fernando Alonso – 0 points

Charles Leclerc, speaking prior to DSQ:

On lap 1 clash with Hamilton: “Honestly, it’s not Lewis’s fault at all - I was around the inside trying to position the car for turn 3, Lewis didn’t know I was there - I didn’t think Lewis would come back to the apex.

“It’s a racing incident, it’s not the first or last time it will happen. Shame it happened between the two red cars.

“We didn’t want to take the eight seconds to change the wing, didn’t want to take that risk. I wanted to maximise the result, I think we did well.”

COMMENT: Lewis Hamilton’s shock disqualification tells us one thing: Ferrari have hit rock bottom

Twenty-four hours is a long time in Formula One. Just on Saturday, Lewis Hamilton was riding high, optimism radiating, after his first taste of victory in the famous Ferrari red, albeit in the shorter sprint format.

By Sunday night, long after dusk fell in Shanghai, the Briton and his beleaguered team had hit rock bottom.

Full piece below:

Hamilton’s shock DSQ tells us one thing: Ferrari have already hit rock bottom

A final points summary in China:

The final points/placings from Shanghai after those three DSQs #F1#ChineseGPpic.twitter.com/Yfin5Xx4DK

— Formula 1 (@F1) March 23, 2025

Liam Lawson, after finishing 12th:

“ We tried to do something aggressive today, that’s why we started from the pit-lane. We learned something but it just didn’t work today.

On being under pressure already at Red Bull: “We’re in the season, two races in, racing. You’d love to have 60 test days and I know a lot of the other guys tested a lot, it’s not something we did. It’s one of those things, it’s not an excuse, something I have to get on top of as quickly as I can.”

FERRARI STATEMENT ON DSQs

“Following the FIA post-race scrutineering both our cars were found not to conform to the regulations for different reasons.

“Car 16 was found to be underweight by 1 kg and car 44’s rearward skid wear was found to be 0.5mm below the limit.

“Charles was on a one-stop strategy today and this meant his tyre wear was very high, causing the car to be underweight.

“With regard to Lewis’ skid wear, we misjudged the consumption by a small margin.

“There was no intention to gain any advantage. We will learn from what happened today and make sure we don’t make the same mistakes again.

“Clearly it’s not the way we wanted to end our Chinese GP weekend, neither for ourselves, nor for our fans whose support for us is unwavering.”

Pierre Gasly reacts to disqualification:

“It was a tricky race out there today and again, like last week, we finished 11th and just outside of the points.

“Unfortunately, after the race, a technical infringement meant we faced a DSQ.

“In terms of the actual race, though, I think the degradation probably caught most teams out by surprise in the race as it was much lower than expected and the one-stop proved doable.

“We extended our second stint after pitting early and took it to the chequered flag without any reward. In general, it has been a challenging weekend where we have not been as competitive as we would like.”

An unwanted Hamilton fact...

Lewis Hamilton has become the first driver in F1 history to secure a win and also be disqualified in the same race weekend!

This, of course, follows his sprint race victory on Saturday - which still stands.

FIA STATEMENT:

On Hamilton’s DSQ, an FIA statement read:

“The plank assembly of Car 44 [Hamilton] was measured and found to be 8.6mm (LHS), 8.6mm (car centerline) and 8.5mm (RHS). This is below the minimum thickness of 9mm specified under Article 3.5.9 of the Technical Regulations.

“During the hearing, the team representative confirmed that the measurement is correct and that all required procedures were performed correctly. The team also acknowledged that there were no mitigating circumstances and that it was a genuine error by the team.

“The Stewards determine that Article 3.5.9 of the FIA Formula 1 Technical Regulations has been breached and therefore the standard penalty of a disqualification needs to be applied for such an infringement.”

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc disqualified

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have both been disqualified from the Chinese Grand Prix in a disastrous blow for Ferrari.

The cars of both drivers failed post-race checks, with Hamilton’s skid block found to be below the minimum thickness, while Leclerc’s car was found to be underweight.

Alpine’s Pierre Gasly has also been disqualified for an underweight car.

It means Hamilton and Leclerc’s points for their sixth and fifth place finish respectively – eight and 10 – are wiped from their championship tally.

The disqualification does not impact Hamilton’s sprint race victory on Saturday, for which he secured eight points.

CONFIRMED: Lewis Hamilton disqualified from the Chinese Grand Prix

Hamilton’s DSQ is also now confirmed by the FIA.

This is due to excessive plank wear on his Ferrari car.

Wow.

CONFIRMED: Charles Leclerc is disqualified from the Chinese Grand Prix

Leclerc’s DSQ is confirmed. Pierre Gasly’s is also confirmed.

Both for underweight cars!

We await news on Lewis Hamilton’s DSQ...

UPDATE: Ferrari have seen stewards

Ferrari have already seen the stewards about Leclerc’s issue, with Alpine now in the room for Gasly.

Ferrari will be back in the room in 15 minutes for Hamilton...

BREAKING: LEWIS HAMILTON AT RISK TOO

Excessive skid wear to blame, as his rearmost skids have been measured below the 9mm minimum thickness limit post-race.

Could be a double Ferrari DSQ!

Oh gosh...

BREAKING: Charles Leclerc and Pierre Gasly at risk of disqualification

Leclerc (P5) and Gasly's (P11) cars have both been found to be underweight in post-race scrutineering.

It could mean Lance Stroll, in 12th, could be promoted to the points.

More as we get it...

RACE REPORT: Oscar Piastri wins Chinese Grand Prix as Lewis Hamilton struggles for Ferrari

Oscar Piastri beat Lando Norris to win the Chinese Grand Prix as a struggling Lewis Hamilton moved aside for Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc.

Piastri led virtually every lap at the Shanghai International Circuit, with Norris following his team-mate home as McLaren underlined their impressive speed by executing a one-two finish.

Mercedes' George Russell was third ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who passed Leclerc with three laps remaining. Hamilton crossed the line a distant sixth.

FULL REPORT BELOW:

Oscar Piastri wins Chinese Grand Prix as Lewis Hamilton struggles for Ferrari

Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur:

“Very strange, one side of the garage OK. We can take the positive with Charles.

“I don’t want to blame something, we have to do a better job. The tyres are on the edge.

On Lewis’s second stop: “The deg at one stage was important, if everyone pitted it would’ve made sense.”

Charles Leclerc after finishing P5:

On lap 1 clash with Hamilton: “Honestly, it’s not Lewis’s fault at all - I was around the inside trying to position the car for turn 3, Lewis didn’t know I was there - I didn’t think Lewis would come back to the apex.

“It’s a racing incident, it’s not the first of last time it will happen. Shame it happened between the two red cars.

“We didn’t want to take the eight seconds to change the wing, didn’t want to take that risk. I wanted to maximise the result, I think we did well.”

Time for the podium!

It’s the Australian and British national anthems on the podium in China as Oscar Piastri celebrates his victory for McLaren!

And that’s Piastri’s 28th consecutive points-finish too... some record! He’s in his title fight!

Oscar Piastri on his China GP win:

“It’s been an incredible weekend, the car has been pretty mega – today was a bit of a surprise with the tyres, proud of the whole weekend. This is what I feel like I deserved form last week, team did a mega job, one-two.

“To go all the way to the end was a surprise, but a happy surprise.

“There’s a few too many Lewis Hamilton fans but we’ll convert you next year!”

Lando Norris on team radio:

“Yeah well done boys, beautiful one-two!”

George Russell after finishing P3:

“It’s a great result finishing P3… great race, we knew McLaren were a smidge quicker than us, few crucial points.

“I felt from early on that a one-stop was possible, easier than we all anticipated – probably one of my best results in Formula 1 in terms of overall performance, pleased to be on the podium.

“It was a bit dicey with Lando but from there, straightforward race.”

"Probably one of my best weekends in Formula 1" 🎉

George Russell reflects on a strong weekend 💪 pic.twitter.com/zIjddlFWzg

— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) March 23, 2025

Lando Norris on his 2nd place:

“A few fun moments – the start I was hoping for that but then George got me on the pit stops, but our pace was a lot better on the second stint. Oscar drove well, he was quick the whole race.

“I’m happy with second, it’s good points, one-two for the team. We’re very happy.

On brake issue: “It was scary, my worst nightmare! I was losing two, three four seconds, bit scared but we survived. Satisfied, great result!”

TOP-10 IN CHINESE GP

1. Oscar Piastri

2. Lando Norris

3. George Russell

4. Max Verstappen

5. Charles Leclerc

6. Lewis Hamilton

7. Esteban Ocon

8. Kimi Antonelli

9. Alex Albon

10. Ollie Bearman

Oscar Piastri wins the Chinese Grand Prix!

A third grand prix win in F1 for Oscar Piastri, who takes a superb victory in Shanghai!

Lando Norris just about brings his car home despite his brake issue, as McLaren claim a one-two!

George Russell on the podium again for third place!

4-10: Verstappen, Leclerc, Hamilton, Ocon, Antonelli, Albon, Bearman

Lando Norris brake issue critical (Lap 55/56)

Two laps left and Norris is being told to bring his car home, given a major issue with his brakes!

Still, it’s looking good for McLaren...

Max Verstappen passes Charles Leclerc (Lap 53/56)

Brilliant battle!

Verstappen has super pace suddenly and takes fourth place around the outside of turn 1, despite Leclerc’s best efforts for over a lap!

Verstappen P4!

Norris has a brake issue (Lap 52/56)

A lot of communications between Norris and his engineer Will Joseph over his brake pedal.

There’s an issue, but it should be manageable...

TOP-10 WITH 8 LAPS TO GO (Lap 48/56)

1. Piastri

2. Norris

3. Russell

4. Leclerc

5. Verstappen

6. Hamilton

7. Ocon

8. Antonelli

9. Albon

10. Bearman

All those positions hae leads over two seconds...

Charles Leclerc on team radio (Lap 45/56)

Leclerc’s engineer: “We’re losing time in turn 2, try not using the kerb.”

Leclerc: “Nope.”

Oscar Piastri has a five-second lead (Lap 44/56)

No sign of the tyres waning away yet... but there’s still time!

Piastri has a five-second lead, with Norris 4.6 seconds clear of Russell.

4-10: Leclerc, Verstappen, Hamilton, Ocon, Antonelli, Albon, Bearman

Looking like a hell of a race for Haas here, with two cars in the top-10 at the moment!

Ollie Bearman moves up to 10th! (Lap 41/56)

Celebrations in the Haas garage as Bearman makes an impressive move on Gasly to move up to 10th - and a points-scoring position!

After a horror show in Australia, Bearman looks back down to business in China!

Oscar Piastri eyeing one-stop (Lap 40/56)

Piastri’s engineer: “How’s the tyre looking, plan A?”

Piastri: “I think we can go to the end.”

There we go then!

Lando Norris:

Norris: “I see the first bit of graining, but we’re OK for now.”

Lewis Hamilton pits (Lap 38/56)

Hamilton pits - 2.3 seconds - and comes out in sixth!

OK, so Hamilton the first frontrunner to pit... but it seems possible that most of them will stay out for a one-stop!

Piastri’s lead out in front to Norris is now 2.4 seconds. Will they be allowed to race?

Rain on the cards?! (Lap 35/56)

Norris’s engineer: “Low risk of rain in 3 laps!”

I thought we were getting a dry race! Will the rain shake things up? It’s very dark in Shanghai now...

TOP-10 AFTER 34 LAPS

1. Oscar Piastri

2. Lando Norris

3. George Russell

4. Charles Leclerc

5. Lewis Hamilton

6. Max Verstappen

7. Lance Stroll

8. Yuki Tsunoda

9. Esteban Ocon

10. Kimi Antonelli

When will second pit stops occur? (Lap 32/56)

Race in a bit of a lull now, as we wait for the second pit stops!

When will be the optimum time?

Russell has been told he may go to the end with a one-stop!

Oscar Piastri has a four-second lead (Lap 26/56)

Piastri will be very satisfied with his work so far - he has a four-second lead to Lando Norris!

George Russell is two seconds further back, while Charles Leclerc is closing in on the Mercedes - 0.8 seconds the gap!

5-10: Hamilton, Verstappen, Stroll, Bearman, Tsunoda, Ocon

Lewis Hamilton... (Lap 24/56)

Hamilton: “Give me some feedback, I need some feedback.”

Engineer: “Turn 13 can improve.”

Hamilton: “Yep, you told me that already.”

Like last week, fascinating communications between Hamilton and Riccardo Adami!

TOP-10 AFTER 23 LAPS

1. Oscar Piastri

2. Lando Norris

3. George Russell

4. Charles Leclerc

5. Lewis Hamilton

6. Max Verstappen

7. Lance Stroll (no stop)

8. Ollie Bearman (no stop)

9. Yuki Tsunoda

10. Esteban Ocon

Kimi Antonelli has dropped to 11th...

Hamilton and Leclerc swap! (Lap 21/56)

Hamilton: “I’ll decide where we swap.”

And indeed he does - at turn 1!

Leclerc moves up to fourth! So Hamilton listens to his team, swaps the position, but does it on his terms!

Perfect compromise...

Lewis Hamilton resists Ferrari order (Lap 20/56)

Hamilton’s engineer: “We are swapping cars at turn 14.”

Hamilton: “When he’s closer, yes.”

The Ferrari pair in fifth and sixth, but Leclerc has superior speed in the latter position.

Hamilton: “Right now, I’m closing up.”

Piastri retakes lead! (Lap 18/56)

More pace, more power, as Piastri cruises past Albon to retake the lead!

And Norris gets the move done on Russell, steamrolling down the inside at turn 1! Great move!

Norris back to net-second in this race!

Russell overtakes Norris! (Lap 16/56)

Norris pits but comes out just behind Russell, who is now net second in the race!

Alex Albon - yet to pit - is now the race leader!

Piastri is second, 1.6 seconds behind Albon.

Leclerc, incidentally, did not change his front wing in his pit stop!

Oscar Piastri pits! (Lap 15/56)

A slow stop for Piastri - 3.6 seconds - and Lando Norris takes over the lead, with Russell also pitting!

How long will Lando leave it to pit?!

George Russell:

“I think it’s going to be one-stop, front left clearing up.”

Interesting! Russell likes going long... we saw that in Belgium last year!

Yet he’s still coming into the pits...

Hamilton and Verstappen pit (Lap 14/56)

Hamilton’s stop: 2.4 seconds.

Verstappen’s stop: 2.2 seconds.

Hamilton comes out in 10th, with Verstappen in 12th. Frontrunners diving into the pits now... let’s see how this works out!

Kimi Antonelli pits - and drops back! (Lap 13/56)

Tsunoda overtakes Antonelli out of the pits, with the RB pitting a lap earlier!

The undercut working well!

Hadjar also pits - but he’s behind the Mercedes!

Pit stops starting to come to fruition then....

Oscar Piastri has a two-second lead (Lap 12/56)

So far, so good for Piastri and McLaren. He has a two-second lead to his teammate - but it’s all about tyre management now. The graining is a tad slower than expected, I think.

Piastri’s engineer: “Can we make plan c target lap?

Piastri: “I think it might be possible.”

Charles Leclerc on team radio: (Lap 10/56)

“If it stays like this, I want plan A.”

What is plan A - one or two stops?!

Engineer: “There will be too much traffic, we stick with plan B.”

Oscar Piastri pulls out of DRS! (Lap 8/56)

Is it pure pace or is it an instruction? Either way, Norris has dropped back to a 1.4 second margin to Piastri.

The race just settling down now - Leclerc is the only man within a second of the car in front, which is teammate Hamilton!

When will the pit stops start? Is it a one-stopper or two-stopper?

Norris: “Starting to struggle, left-front!”

Fernando Alonso retires! (Lap 6/56)

Alonso has pulled into the pits and he becomes the first car to retire from this race due to those issues with the brakes!

Out in front, Piastri’s lead is now 0.8 seconds - so Norris has DRS!

Will McLaren let them race?!

3-10: Russell, Hamilton, Leclerc, Verstappen, Antonelli, Tsunoda, Hadjar, Ocon

Hamilton and Leclerc!

Replays show the Ferraris just grazed each other at the end of the sweeping turn 1, resulting in Leclerc’s front wing damage!

A minor clash; a usual occurrence on lap 1!

Meanwhile, Fernando Alonso has an issue with his brakes - they’re on fire!

Another look at the contact between Ferrari teammates Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton 🔴 pic.twitter.com/Eb21H7iq8F

— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) March 23, 2025

Oscar Piastri outside of DRS! (Lap 3/56)

Perfect start for McLaren here!

Piastri has a 1.1 second lead to Norris, who is 1.8 seconds clear of Russell!

4-10: Hamilton, Leclerc, Verstappen, Antonelli, Tsunoda, Hadjar, Ocon

Leclerc on his front wing: “We can survive.”

Lights out!

Oscar Piastri gets a poor-ish start but keeps the lead - and Lando Norris swoops around the outside of turn 1 to take second from George Russell!

Lewis Hamilton has taken fourth from Max Verstappen, who is sixth after dropping behind Leclerc too!

“Leclerc has a broken front wing,” says Verstappen. I think he hit Hamilton!

Thrilling start!

OFFICIAL ATTENDANCE

The official attendance for the Chinese Grand Prix is a sold out 220,000 people.

And boy are they excited for this start!

Formation lap!

Oscar Piastri leads the pack around for the formation lap in Shanghai!

All the field on the medium tyre, apart from three drivers: Lance Stroll, Ollie Bearman and Liam Lawson are on the hard tyre.

Who will have the lead after lap one?! Can George Russell steal a march on the McLarens?!

A reminder of the starting grid in China:

1. Oscar Piastri

2. George Russell

3. Lando Norris

4. Max Verstappen

5. Lewis Hamilton

6. Charles Leclerc

7. Isack Hadjar

8. Kimi Antonelli

9. Yuki Tsunoda

10. Alex Albon

11. Esteban Ocon

12. Nico Hulkenberg

13. Fernando Alonso

14. Lance Stroll

15. Carlos Sainz

16. Pierre Gasly

17. Ollie Bearman

18. Jack Doohan

19. Gabriel Bortoleto

Pit lane. Liam Lawson

Red Bull boss Christian Horner:

On Lawson: “We’ve taken the opportunity to make some big setup changes and try and learn something.

“We’re trying to take something out of it.”

On the race: “This race is impossible to call, it’s whoever takes care of that front left tyre.”

Max Verstappen, who starts in P4:

“We can’t touch the car after qualifying, and see if it’s any better in the race.”

Oscar Piastri, who starts on pole:

“Try and get a better start, manage the tyres, everyone learned a lot from yesterday.

“Everybody is a bit wiser – it’ll be pretty tough out there.”

Ollie Bearman, who starts P17:

“It’s a bit more gusty today. It’s changed a lot, we’ll see how it develops, track is a little bit dirty.”

Time for the Chinese national anthem in Shanghai!

With thousands in the grandstands, it’s time for the national anthem of China - the march of the volunteers!

Kimi Antonelli, who starts P8:

“We were just talking about wind being different to yesterday, disturbing a bit, but track feels good for grip.

“Some butterflies in the stomach, you want to get the start right.”

McLaren boss Zak Brown:

“It’s a bit cooler now, wind has picked up - don’t know if it’s a one or two stop. Tyre-dependent race strategy.

“The Ferraris were really strong yesterday, the dirty air impacted us... worry about George, Max and the Ferraris.”

Lando Norris' dad Adam:

“He's feeling good, we'll see, he'll do alright.”

Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur, speaking on the grid:

“We did a good job yesterday but it’s very very tight, we can have a good race.

“Lewis’ win was good for his confidence and the team, but more focused on today now.”

What is the starting grid?

1. Oscar Piastri

2. George Russell

3. Lando Norris

4. Max Verstappen

5. Lewis Hamilton

6. Charles Leclerc

7. Isack Hadjar

8. Kimi Antonelli

9. Yuki Tsunoda

10. Alex Albon

11. Esteban Ocon

12. Nico Hulkenberg

13. Fernando Alonso

14. Lance Stroll

15. Carlos Sainz

16. Pierre Gasly

17. Ollie Bearman

18. Jack Doohan

19. Gabriel Bortoleto

Pit lane. Liam Lawson

Liam Lawson to start from the pit-lane!

Lawson was set to start P20 anyway but after Red Bull did work on his car in parc ferme conditions, the Kiwi will start from the pit lane this morning!

Lewis Hamilton after qualifying P5:

“We started really optimistic, we made a few changes to the car but it was on a knife-edge.

“You want a car that’s balanced, it has a different balance. We made the change and then high-speed was overbalanced. You want a car that you can rely on, when it’s unpredictable you’ve got no hope.”

WATCH: Piastri's pole-clinching moment:

OSCAR. PIASTRI.#McLaren | #ChineseGP 🇨🇳pic.twitter.com/LNUoRRmKcU

— McLaren (@McLarenF1) March 22, 2025