CHINESE GP: TIRE MANAGEMENT REWARDS PIASTRI, BOTH FERRARIS DISQUALIFIED

Who can stop McLaren? So far, no one. The Woking-based team has set the pace with a masterstroke double: Lando Norris’ victory in Australia and total dominance in China, with Oscar Piastri leading his British teammate to the finish line. These two races have sent a clear message to their rivals, who are struggling to keep up. Mercedes’ George Russell, third in Shanghai with a gap of over 11 seconds, managed to limit the damage, while Red Bull-Honda’s Max Verstappen was never really in contention for the podium, finishing fourth, 16.656 seconds behind. Ferrari, even further back, placed fifth and sixth with a gap of over 20 seconds.

Piastri secured his third career victory after Budapest and Baku 2024. The Australian managed the race with composure, maintaining a consistent pace for all 56 laps, never allowing Norris to challenge him. The Briton made a great start, immediately passing Russell, but later faced brake pedal issues in the closing laps. Despite a pit stop that temporarily dropped him behind the Mercedes, Norris quickly regained second place.

The Shanghai haul was significant: McLaren bagged crucial points, climbing to 78 in the Constructors' Championship, 25 ahead of Mercedes, 42 ahead of Red Bull, and 43 ahead of Ferrari. In the Drivers' Championship, Norris leads with 44 points, followed by Verstappen with 36.

While McLaren dominates, George Russell continues to collect points consistently. Third in Melbourne, third in Shanghai (fourth in the Sprint), the Briton has proven himself as Mercedes’ new team leader after Lewis Hamilton’s departure. The W16 is not yet on McLaren’s level, but it is a clear improvement over the W15 from 2024.

Among the positives for the Brackley team is Andrea Kimi Antonelli. The young Italian finished sixth after the disqualifications, scoring valuable points despite suffering floor damage from a debris piece lost by Leclerc’s Ferrari at the start.

If Verstappen had salvaged a second-place finish in Australia, Shanghai exposed the RB21’s deeper struggles. The Dutchman endured an anonymous race, losing ground to the Ferraris early on and hovering between fifth and sixth before finally passing Leclerc in the closing stages. The days of Red Bull’s unchallenged dominance seem far behind. For Liam Lawson, standing in for Sergio Perez, the race was even more challenging, as he spent most of it at the back with no sign of making up positions.

A shocking post-race twist in Shanghai: Charles Leclerc and Pierre Gasly were disqualified after a technical inspection. Leclerc’s car was found to be one kilogram under the 800 kg minimum weight requirement, while Gasly’s Alpine suffered the same fate. Hamilton’s Mercedes was also excluded for excessive skid block wear, with the floor thickness found to be below the required 9mm limit.

These disqualifications reshuffled the final classification: Esteban Ocon inherited fifth place, followed by Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who moved up two spots. Alexander Albon climbed to seventh, with Carlos Sainz securing Williams’ first point of the season. Lance Stroll entered the top 10, finishing ninth for Aston Martin.

An incredible turnaround for Haas, from backmarkers in Australia to unexpected contenders in China. Esteban Ocon finished fifth thanks to a flawless strategy, while Oliver Bearman climbed from 19th to eighth, pulling off a series of impressive overtakes.

On the other hand, Racing Bulls-Honda struggled: Tsunoda and Hadjar, despite a strong qualifying performance, found themselves out of the points due to questionable strategy decisions. Alpine-Renault suffered a similar fate, and with Gasly’s disqualification, they remain the only team yet to score points after two races.

Alexander Albon delivered a solid seventh-place finish for Williams, while Carlos Sainz, still adjusting to the FW47, finally claimed a crucial point in tenth. At Aston Martin, Lance Stroll finished ninth, while Fernando Alonso retired early due to brake issues.

If Sauber had shone in Melbourne with a rain-assisted seventh place thanks to Nico Hulkenberg, reality hit hard in Shanghai. Stuck at the back for the entire weekend, the Swiss team endured a race to forget, with Hulkenberg dropping out of contention after lap one and Bortoleto spinning, sealing a disastrous outing.

After two races, McLaren seems to have found the winning formula. But the season is long—can their rivals fight back, or are we witnessing the dawn of a new orange era?

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