Can McLaren win two victories to open the 2025 Formula 1 season?
Lando Norris went wire-to-wire last week to win the Australian Grand Prix in the season opener. Now, Oscar Piastri has the opportunity to recreate the feat of his teammates after winning pole position for China's Grand Prix. With McLaren's teammates in third place, Piastri kept George Russell out in just 0.082 seconds and scored P1 during qualifying.
Defending driver champion Max Barstappen came in fourth with Lewis Hamilton and Charles LeClair's Ferrari duo locking out in the third row.
This is the complete starting grid for the Chinese Grand Prix:
China's Grand Prix Provisional Start Grid
| line | position | driver | team | position | driver | team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| line | position | driver | team | position | driver | team |
| Line 1 | 1 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 2 | George Russell | Mercedes |
| Line 2 | 3 | Rand Norris | McLaren | 4 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull |
| Line 3 | 5 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 6 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari |
| Line 4 | 7 | Isack Hadjar | vcarb | 8 | You Antoneri | Mercedes |
| Line 5 | 9 | Snow and Horn | vcarb | 10 | Alex Albon | Williams |
| Line 6 | 11 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | 12 | Nico Hulkenberg | Sauber |
| Line 7 | 13 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 14 | Reims walks | Aston Martin |
| Line 8 | 15 | Carlos Sine Jr. | Williams | 16 | Pierre Guthry | Takayama |
| Line 9 | 17 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | 18 | Jack Doohn | Takayama |
| Line 10 | 19 | Gabriel Boltreto | Sauber | 20 | Liam Lawson | Red Bull |
Sunday's race is expected to be a battle of tire degradation as Shanghai's re-clear circuit increased both grip levels and tire wear. During Saturday's Formula 1 sprint race, Hamilton kicked him out of the grid after starting with the pole. Clean air reduces tire damage. However, the people behind him saw the tires disappear quickly in dirty air, with a 19-lap sprint.
The whole race is covered for you, so whether you're awake late or early, come back early and often!
Updates are recorded either in Eastern Time or in lap numbers.
F1 Chinese Grand Prix Live Coverage
Wrap 9: Alex Albon told the team to “relax” and said “I'm better than anyone else” about tire wear. Albon is running on P11, but is within DRS range of Esteban Ocon before him.
Wrap 8: Hamilton reports some grains on the left tyre on the front on lap 8. During yesterday's F1 sprint race, Verstappen pointed out that his medium tires were “dead” on lap 10.
Norris also reports that he is beginning to “fight and left front.”
Wrap 6: Norris is within DRS range of the piastry in the front. Russell is more than a second behind Norris on P3.
Leclerc remains in Hamilton, even if it damages the front wing. Verstappen is almost three seconds behind the P6's Leclerc, but the Red Bull driver may be trying to manage the tires as much as possible.
Wrap 4: Pierre Gasly reports that the brakes on the Fernando Alonso are “on fire.”
This is two drivers so far providing some commentary from the cockpit.
Alonso pulls aside here on lap 4, which is likely his first retirement in the race. It will be his second retirement with two Grand Prix this season.
“There's no brakes,” reports Alonso from his AMR25 cockpit.
Wrap 3: “We can survive,” Leclair said when he was told about the damage to his front wing.
Wrap 1: F1TV's Alex Jacques reports that two Ferrari drivers made contact and damaged the Leclerc's front wing, including loss of the end plate. Replays will check the report.
3:05: Things are ongoing in Shanghai. Piastri holds the lead after a challenge from Russell, but it opens the door for Norris, who jumps into P2 behind his teammates.
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc has a “broken front wing” with Verstappen radio to Red Bull.
3:04: Lawson pulled down the pit lane. The green flag is behind it.
3:00: The formation rap is currently underway in Shanghai.
There are only three cars on the hard tire. Lance will take a walk on P14, with Oliver Bearman on P17 and Liam Lawson on P20 starting from the pit lane.
Everyone else is in medium compounds. Expect a two-stop strategy to become a major plan for today's field.
2:57: I feel it is necessary to point out that one of our cats, Rosie, is confused by my awake now.
I understand her confusion.
2:48: Toto Wolff will be stopped by F1TV. “I think everything is possible, but I think the podium is good,” says the Mercedes boss of George Russell, who is set to start second. He points out McLarens, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton as victory challengers.
2:46: The run from the start/finish line to turn 1 is 300 meters. That should be a fun start.
2:43: “That front left tire is everything today,” Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner tells Jollion Palmer as F1TV analysts pass through the grid.
Again, tire degradation and clear air are two main topics heading into this race.
2:39: Liam Lawson, scheduled to start on the 20th, will start in the pit lane as Red Bull changed the RB21 suspension under PARC Ferme conditions.
2:38: My words are quick.
