Lewis Hamilton has gained his first race for Ferrari, securing Saturday’s Dash victory from pole place following an early duel with Pink Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen on the Chinese language Method 1 Grand Prix.
Ferrari’s British driver Lewis Hamilton celebrates after successful the dash race of the Method One Chinese language Grand Prix (AFP)
Hamilton bought an awesome begin to take the lead into flip one, and managed the hole to Verstappen, till the Dutchman was handed for second on lap 15 by McLaren’s Oscar Piastri into the again straight’s hairpin.
Ferrari’s new recruit was then capable of stretch his legs all the best way to his maiden Dash win, with the Brit coming residence nearly 6.9 seconds forward of Piastri – for eight factors (9 total) and a three-place leap to seventh within the standings.
“The last like five laps or something I was in a really pretty comfortable position. It’s hard to put into words what it feels like,” Hamilton stated.
“Obviously it’s a Sprint race, is not the main race, but even just think to get that – it’s just a good stepping stone to where I’m working towards.”
Hamilton continues to be having fun with each new second with the Scuderia, regardless of having secured a record-equaling seven titles and 104 wins, with the Chinese language Dash – and his romp to the win – all about managing the tire put on.
“I got in the car extra early because I just wanted to be present and enjoy it, because I hadn’t been there for a while,” he stated.
“(I got a) good start and challenging race. It is generally really close between all of us. But the tire degradation today was pretty huge I think for everybody, so I think for me it was just try to manage that early on.”
Hamilton arrived in Shanghai after a disappointing season-opening race final weekend in Australia, the place he completed tenth in his debut race for Ferrari.
Piastri was completely happy to leap Verstappen and take second, however dissatisfied to not be the one to take the win from pole place – given McLaren’s tempo benefit.
“(It was) Tough,” Piastri stated. “(It was) probably one of the more difficult ones in terms of tire degradation, so I knew I had to try and be patient.”
McLaren eyeing robust qualifying tempo
The stress is now on McLaren to get well in Saturday afternoon’s qualifying to what it hopes is its rightful place on the entrance of the grid.
“The difference between qualifying and the race, in terms of what you want from the car and what the tires need, seems to be quite big,” Piastri stated.
“I think the pace we had in the car yesterday was good. I think we just in hindsight would have done a few things a bit differently in qualifying. But I think the pace is there and there’s plenty of conference going this afternoon.”
Verstappen was once more completely happy to complete within the high three, with the reigning World Champion choosing up seven factors to take his complete haul to 24 – two behind chief, McLaren’s Lando Norris, who had a scrappy race to complete eighth.
“Midway, (I) really started to feel that the deg(radation) was kicking in,” Verstappen said. “It just seemed a little bit more aggressive for us than maybe the cars around us. But I think that just comes from maybe not having the base pace, you try to hang in there, and you naturally just destroy your tires a bit more.
“To be in the top-three I think is still a good result for us. And maybe we started a bit more ahead than I think we should have anyway so pretty pleased.”
Norris shaken
Piastri’s teammate Lando Norris completed eighth, removed from the restoration drive he wanted to have. The Brit began sixth, however went extensive on the flip six hairpin, misplaced locations, and solely bought previous Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll within the closing laps.
“It certainly didn’t help. The further back you start, the harder it is,” stated Norris, who took the ultimate level, bringing him to 26 complete
“I just had a bad first lap, I just run into the grass a bit at turn six, and lost a couple of positions, and it was just difficult to do a lot. I mean qualifying didn’t help, but I wasn’t very good today either.”
Norris, who had a title fighter’s mindset going into the weekend, appeared shaken following two tough classes, however is aware of he has to reset for this afternoon.
“It’s another session, it’s qualifying, so I’ll be a bit more confident,” he stated. “At the minute, in the race, I just feel dreadful. So a lot of work to do, but it’s where it is.”
Mercedes’ George Russell completed fourth, forward of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, having jumped the Monégasque at flip 14 on the opening lap.
Racing Bulls driver Yuki Tsunoda was sixth, forward of Mercedes’ rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli, and the 2 Aston Martins – with Lance Stroll forward of Fernando Alonso, who closed out the top-10.