Can McLaren make it two wins in a row to open the 2025 Formula 1 season?
Lando Norris went wire-to-wire to win the season-opening Australian Grand Prix last week, and now Oscar Piastri has a chance to replicate his teammate’s feat after capturing pole position for the Chinese Grand Prix. Piastri edged out George Russell by just 0.082 seconds to take P1 during qualifying, and will have Norris behind him, as his McLaren teammate qualified third.
Defending Drivers’ Champion Max Verstappen qualified fourth, with the Ferrari duo of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc locking out the third row.
Here is the full starting grid for the Chinese Grand Prix:
Chinese Grand Prix Provisional Starting Grid
| Row | Position | Driver | Team | Position | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Row | Position | Driver | Team | Position | Driver | Team |
| Row 1 | 1 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 2 | George Russell | Mercedes |
| Row 2 | 3 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 4 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull |
| Row 3 | 5 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 6 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari |
| Row 4 | 7 | Isack Hadjar | VCARB | 8 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes |
| Row 5 | 9 | Yuki Tsunoda | VCARB | 10 | Alex Albon | Williams |
| Row 6 | 11 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | 12 | Nico Hülkenberg | Sauber |
| Row 7 | 13 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 14 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin |
| Row 8 | 15 | Carlos Sainz Jr. | Williams | 16 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine |
| Row 9 | 17 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | 18 | Jack Doohan | Alpine |
| Row 10 | 19 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Sauber | 20 | Liam Lawson | Red Bull |
Sunday’s race is expected to be a tire degradation battle, as the resurfaced circuit in Shanghai has increased both the grip level, and the wear on the tires. During Saturday’s F1 Sprint race Hamilton drove away from the grid after starting on pole, with the clean air causing less damage on his tires. Those behind him in dirty air, however, saw their tires fade quickly over the 19-lap sprint.
We’ll have the entire race covered for you live so whether you’re staying up late, or getting up early, check back early and often!
Updates are noted in either Eastern time or by lap number.
F1 Chinese Grand Prix live coverage
Lap 8: Hamilton is reporting some graining on his front left tire here on Lap 8. During the F1 Sprint race yesterday Verstappen noted that his medium tires were “dead” on Lap 10. We are firmly in two-stop range here.
Norris also reports that he is starting to “struggle, left front” to his team.
Lap 6: Norris is within DRS range of Piastri at the front. Russell is more than a second behind Norris in P3.
Leclerc is staying with Hamilton, even with the damage to his front wing. Verstappen is almost three seconds behind Leclerc in P6, but the Red Bull driver might be trying to manage his tires as much as possible.
Lap 4: Pierre Gasly reports that Fernando Alonso’s brakes are “on fire.”
That’s two drivers now providing some commentary from the cockpit so far.
Alonso pulls to the side here on Lap 4, likely to be the first retirement of the race. That would make for his second retirement in two Grands Prix this season.
“No brakes,” reports Alonso from the cockpit of his AMR25.
Lap 3: “We can survive,” said Leclerc when told of the damage to his front wing.
Lap 1: Alex Jacques on F1TV reports that the two Ferrari drivers made contact, which caused the damage to Leclerc’s front wing, including the loss of an endplate. Replays confirm that report.
3:05: Things are underway in Shanghai. Piastri holds onto the lead after a challenge from Russell, but that opens the door for Norris who jumps into P2 behind his teammate.
Verstappen radios into Red Bull that Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc has a “broken front wing.”
3:04: Lawson has pulled down pit lane. The green flag is at the back.
3:00: The formation lap is underway in Shanghai.
Only three cars are on the hard tire: Lance Stroll in P14, Oliver Bearman in P17, and Liam Lawson in P20, who will start from pit lane.
Everyone else is on the medium compound. Expect a two-stop strategy to be the primary plan today for the field.
2:57: I feel it necessary to point out that one of our cats, Rosie, is perplexed at my being awake right now.
I understand her confusion.
2:48: Toto Wolff stops by F1TV. “I think everything is possible but I think a podium would be good,” says the Mercedes boss about George Russell, who is set to start second. He points to the McLarens, Max Verstappen, and Lewis Hamilton as challengers for the win.
2:46: The run into Turn 1 from the start/finish line is 300 meters. That should make for a fun start.
2:43: “It’s all about that front left tire today,” says Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner to Jolyon Palmer as the F1TV analyst does his pre-race walk through the grid.
Again, tire degradation and clear air are the two major talking points heading into this race.
2:39: Liam Lawson, who was set to start 20th, will start from pit lane as Red Bull made changes to the suspension on his RB21 under parc ferme conditions.
2:38: My word it is early.
