Lewis Hamilton secured his first victory with Ferrari in stunning fashion, dominating the sprint race at the Chinese Grand Prix on Saturday. The seven-time world champion, who had a disappointing debut for Ferrari in Melbourne, bounced back in Shanghai, crossing the finish line 6.889 seconds ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen settling for third.
Emerging from his car to roaring cheers and massive banners displaying his iconic number 44, Hamilton soaked in the emotional moment.
“That was really special,” the 40-year-old said. “Shanghai has always been good to me since my first race here in 2007. It’s a track I love. It’s only a sprint, not the main race, but it’s a great stepping stone.”
Starting from pole, Hamilton used his experience to control the race, managing tyre degradation on the newly resurfaced Shanghai circuit. While his rivals struggled, the British driver remained composed, maintaining his lead comfortably.
“The tyre degradation was massive for everyone,” Hamilton admitted. “I just focused on managing it early and built a strong position in the last five laps.”
Piastri, finishing second, echoed the tyre struggles. “It was one of the toughest races in terms of tyre wear. I had to stay patient.”
Verstappen, who initially pressured Hamilton, found himself slipping to third as his tyres gave way. “In the last eight laps, I just had to survive,” the reigning world champion confessed.
Elsewhere, George Russell finished fourth, with Charles Leclerc fifth in the second Ferrari. Yuki Tsunoda impressed in sixth, Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli secured seventh, and championship leader Lando Norris managed to salvage eighth despite early race struggles.
With Norris still leading the championship on 26 points, Verstappen (24 points) is closing in. But the big question remains—will Hamilton’s sprint win be the spark Ferrari needs to reignite its title hopes?
