The 2025 Chinese Grand Prix (officially known as the Formula 1 Heineken Chinese Grand Prix 2025) was a Formula One motor race that was held on 23 March 2025 at the Shanghai International Circuit in Shanghai, China. It was the second round of the 2025 Formula One World Championship and the first of six Grands Prix in the season to utilise the sprint format.
| 2025 Chinese Grand Prix | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Race 2 of 24 in the 2025 Formula One World Championship
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Layout of the Shanghai International Circuit | |||||
| Race details[1] | |||||
| Date | 23 March 2025 | ||||
| Official name | Formula 1 Heineken Chinese Grand Prix 2025 | ||||
| Location |
Shanghai International Circuit Shanghai, China | ||||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||||
| Course length | 5.451 km (3.387 miles) | ||||
| Distance | 56 laps, 305.066 km (189.559 miles) | ||||
| Weather | Cloudy | ||||
| Attendance | 220,000[2] | ||||
| Pole position | |||||
| Driver | McLaren-Mercedes | ||||
| Time | 1:30.641 | ||||
| Fastest lap | |||||
| Driver |
| McLaren-Mercedes | |||
| Time | 1:35.454 on lap 53 | ||||
| Podium | |||||
| First | McLaren-Mercedes | ||||
| Second | McLaren-Mercedes | ||||
| Third | Mercedes | ||||
|
Lap leaders | |||||
Lewis Hamilton in the Ferrari took sprint pole position and kept the lead to win the sprint ahead of Oscar Piastri (McLaren) and Red Bull driver Max Verstappen. Piastri took his maiden career pole position for the main race, ahead of George Russell driving for Mercedes and teammate Lando Norris.
In the main race, Piastri converted his pole position to a win ahead of teammate Norris and Russell. Following the race, Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton and Pierre Gasly were disqualified from fifth, sixth and eleventh respectively. Leclerc and Gasly were disqualified due to their cars being underweight, whilst Hamilton was disqualified due to excessive plank wear.
Background
editThe event took place across the weekend of 21–23 March and was the 18th edition of the Chinese Grand Prix, all of which had been held at the Shanghai International Circuit in Shanghai.[5] The Grand Prix was the second round of the 2025 Formula One World Championship and the 18th running of the Chinese Grand Prix.[6] It was also the first of six Grands Prix in the season to utilise the sprint format and the second time overall that the Chinese Grand Prix featured it.[7]
Prior to the event, teams and tyre supplier Pirelli faced "logistical issues" involving the transportation of equipment from Melbourne, venue of the preceding Grand Prix, to Shanghai. As a result, the FIA gave special dispensation to reduce the night curfew period on Wednesday before the event from eleven and a half to six hours in order to minimise the impact on the event.[8]
Championship standings before the race
editGoing into the event, Lando Norris led the Drivers' Championship with 25 points, 7 points ahead of Max Verstappen in second, and 10 ahead of George Russell in third. McLaren entered the round as Constructors' Championship leaders on 27 points, ahead of Mercedes, also on 27 and Red Bull Racing, who were third with 18 points.[9]
Entrants
editThe drivers and teams were the same as published in the season entry list, with no additional stand-in drivers for the race.[10] The Grand Prix marked the last for Liam Lawson at Red Bull Racing and Yuki Tsunoda for Racing Bulls; from the Japanese Grand Prix onward, the drivers would swap teams.[11]
Tyre choices
editTrack changes
editPractice
editThe sole free practice session was held on 21 March 2025, at 11:30 local time (UTC+8).[1] Led out by Oliver Bearman, all drivers started the session fitted with the medium-compound tyres. Early in the session, both Liam Lawson and Alexander Albon drove into the gravel. By the mid-way point of practice, George Russell led the timesheets with a time of 1:32.377, half a second clear of Charles Leclerc in second and one second quicker than the previous year's pole time. An issue with Jack Doohan's Alpine forced a red flag, halting the session until there were only 7 minutes remaining. In the end, Lando Norris topped the session, followed by Leclerc, Oscar Piastri, Lewis Hamilton and Russell rounding out the top five. [13]
Sprint qualifying
editSprint qualifying was held on 21 March 2025, at 15:30 local time (UTC+8), and determined the starting grid order for the sprint.[14]
Sprint qualifying report
editLasting 12 minutes, the first of three sprint qualifying segments (SQ1) required all drivers to use the medium-compound tyres. Hamilton claimed the fastest time, ahead of Norris and Leclerc. Lawson, Nico Hulkenberg, Esteban Ocon, Pierre Gasly and Doohan where all eliminated in the first segment.[15]
SQ2 was 10 minutes long session with drivers again mandated to use the medium tyres. After the first sequence of laps, Norris claimed the top time, and held it throughout the session. Fernando Alonso, Bearman, Carlos Sainz Jr., Gabriel Bortoleto and Isack Hadjar were knocked out.[15]
Sprint qualifying classification
edit| Pos. | No. | Driver | Constructor | Qualifying times | Sprint grid | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SQ1 | SQ2 | SQ3 | |||||
| 1 | 44 | Ferrari | 1:31.212 | 1:31.384 | 1:30.849 | 1 | |
| 2 | 1 | Red Bull Racing-Honda RBPT | 1:31.916 | 1:31.521 | 1:30.867 | 2 | |
| 3 | 81 | McLaren-Mercedes | 1:31.723 | 1:31.362 | 1:30.929 | 3 | |
| 4 | 16 | Ferrari | 1:31.518 | 1:31.561 | 1:31.057 | 4 | |
| 5 | 63 | Mercedes | 1:31.952 | 1:31.346 | 1:31.169 | 5 | |
| 6 | 4 | McLaren-Mercedes | 1:31.396 | 1:31.174 | 1:31.393 | 6 | |
| 7 | 12 | Mercedes | 1:31.999 | 1:31.475 | 1:31.738 | 7 | |
| 8 | 22 | Racing Bulls-Honda RBPT | 1:32.316 | 1:31.794 | 1:31.773 | 8 | |
| 9 | 23 | Williams-Mercedes | 1:32.462 | 1:31.539 | 1:31.852 | 9 | |
| 10 | 18 | Aston Martin Aramco-Mercedes | 1:32.327 | 1:31.742 | 1:31.982 | 10 | |
| 11 | 14 | Aston Martin Aramco-Mercedes | 1:32.121 | 1:31.815 | N/A | 11 | |
| 12 | 87 | Haas-Ferrari | 1:32.269 | 1:31.978 | N/A | 12 | |
| 13 | 55 | Williams-Mercedes | 1:32.457 | 1:32.325 | N/A | 13 | |
| 14 | 5 | Kick Sauber-Ferrari | 1:32.539 | 1:32.564 | N/A | 14 | |
| 15 | 6 | Racing Bulls-Honda RBPT | 1:32.171 | No time | N/A | 15 | |
| 16 | 7 | Alpine-Renault | 1:32.575 | N/A | N/A | 16 | |
| 17 | 10 | Alpine-Renault | 1:32.640 | N/A | N/A | 17 | |
| 18 | 31 | Haas-Ferrari | 1:32.651 | N/A | N/A | 18 | |
| 19 | 27 | Kick Sauber-Ferrari | 1:32.675 | N/A | N/A | PL1 | |
| 20 | 30 | Red Bull Racing-Honda RBPT | 1:32.729 | N/A | N/A | 19 | |
| 107% time: 1:37.596 | |||||||
| Source:[16][14] | |||||||
Notes
- ^1 – Nico Hülkenberg qualified 19th, but was required to start the sprint from the pit lane as his car was modified under parc fermé conditions.[14]
Sprint
editThe sprint was held on 22 March 2025, at 11:00 local time (UTC+8), and was run for 19 laps.[1]
Sprint report
editHamilton held the lead throughout the sprint to take his and Ferrari's first sprint victory. The remaining podium positions were secured by Oscar Piastri in the McLaren and Max Verstappen in the Red Bull. Early championship leader Lando Norris in the McLaren finished eighth having lost places at the start of the race.[17]
Sprint classification
editNotes
- ^1 – Jack Doohan finished 20th on track, but received a post-sprint ten-second time penalty for causing a collision with Gabriel Bortoleto. The penalty made no difference as he was classified in the last position.[19]
Qualifying
editQualifying was held on 22 March 2025, at 15:00 local time (UTC+8), and determined the starting grid order for the main race.[1]
Qualifying report
editOscar Piastri in the McLaren took his maiden Grand Prix pole position ahead of George Russell in the Mercedes. Piastri's teammate Lando Norris qualified third having topped the opening two segment of qualifying.[20]
Qualifying classification
edit| Pos. | No. | Driver | Constructor | Qualifying times | Final grid | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | |||||
| 1 | 81 | McLaren-Mercedes | 1:31.591 | 1:31.200 | 1:30.641 | 1 | |
| 2 | 63 | Mercedes | 1:31.295 | 1:31.307 | 1:30.723 | 2 | |
| 3 | 4 | McLaren-Mercedes | 1:30.983 | 1:30.787 | 1:30.793 | 3 | |
| 4 | 1 | Red Bull Racing-Honda RBPT | 1:31.424 | 1:31.142 | 1:30.817 | 4 | |
| 5 | 44 | Ferrari | 1:31.690 | 1:31.501 | 1:30.927 | 5 | |
| 6 | 16 | Ferrari | 1:31.579 | 1:31.450 | 1:31.021 | 6 | |
| 7 | 6 | Racing Bulls-Honda RBPT | 1:31.162 | 1:31.253 | 1:31.079 | 7 | |
| 8 | 12 | Mercedes | 1:31.676 | 1:31.590 | 1:31.103 | 8 | |
| 9 | 22 | Racing Bulls-Honda RBPT | 1:31.238 | 1:31.260 | 1:31.638 | 9 | |
| 10 | 23 | Williams-Mercedes | 1:31.503 | 1:31.595 | 1:31.706 | 10 | |
| 11 | 31 | Haas-Ferrari | 1:31.876 | 1:31.625 | N/A | 11 | |
| 12 | 27 | Kick Sauber-Ferrari | 1:31.921 | 1:31.632 | N/A | 12 | |
| 13 | 14 | Aston Martin Aramco-Mercedes | 1:31.719 | 1:31.688 | N/A | 13 | |
| 14 | 18 | Aston Martin Aramco-Mercedes | 1:31.923 | 1:31.773 | N/A | 14 | |
| 15 | 55 | Williams-Mercedes | 1:31.628 | 1:31.840 | N/A | 15 | |
| 16 | 10 | Alpine-Renault | 1:31.992 | N/A | N/A | 16 | |
| 17 | 87 | Haas-Ferrari | 1:32.018 | N/A | N/A | 17 | |
| 18 | 7 | Alpine-Renault | 1:32.092 | N/A | N/A | 18 | |
| 19 | 5 | Kick Sauber-Ferrari | 1:32.141 | N/A | N/A | 19 | |
| 20 | 30 | Red Bull Racing-Honda RBPT | 1:32.174 | N/A | N/A | PL1 | |
| 107% time: 1:37.351 | |||||||
| Source:[21][22] | |||||||
Notes
- ^1 – Liam Lawson qualified 20th, but was required to start the race from the pit lane as his car was modified under parc fermé conditions.[22]
Race
editThe race was held on 23 March 2025, at 15:00 local time (UTC+8), and was run for 56 laps.[1]
Race report
editPolesitter Oscar Piastri in the McLaren kept the lead on the first lap, while his teammate Lando Norris moved up to second.[23] Lewis Hamilton in the Ferrari tagged with teammate Charles Leclerc, causing the left endplate of Leclerc's front wing to come off.[24] On the fifth lap, Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martin retired from the race due to overheating on his rear brakes caused by his brake duct assembly setup being different to that from his teammate Lance Stroll, while Gabriel Bortoleto of Sauber spun into the gravel on the same lap, though he was able to keep going.[23][25]
Piastri and Norris, the latter suffering from a worsening brake issue, completed the 50th 1-2 finish for McLaren ahead of George Russell in the Mercedes.[23]
Post-race
editFollowing the race, Leclerc of Ferrari and Gasly of Alpine were disqualified due to their cars being underweight,[26] while sprint winner and Leclerc's teammate Hamilton was disqualified for excessive skid wear.[3] This marked the first double disqualification for a team since Renault's double disqualification at the 2019 Japanese Grand Prix, the first Grand Prix to see more than two disqualifications since the 2004 Canadian Grand Prix, and the first time in Formula One history that both Ferrari cars had been disqualified from a Grand Prix.[b][29]
Race classification
editNotes
- ^1 – Jack Doohan finished 14th, but received a ten-second time penalty for forcing Isack Hadjar off-track. This initially dropped him to 16th in the provisional classification, but was promoted three positions following the disqualifications of Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton and Pierre Gasly.[32]
- ^2 – Charles Leclerc and Pierre Gasly finished fifth and 11th, respectively, but were disqualified as their cars were found underweight.[33][34]
- ^3 – Lewis Hamilton finished sixth, but was disqualified for excessive plank wear.[35]
Championship standings after the race
editThe result meant that Norris extended his lead in the Drivers' Championship to eight points over reigning champion Verstappen, with Russell a further point adrift in third. Following his first win of the season, Piastri moved up to fourth in the standings with 34 points, twelve clear from Antonelli in fifth. McLaren extended their lead in the Constructors' Championship to 21 points over Mercedes, while Red Bull remained in third with 36 points. Despite the double disqualification, Ferrari moved up to fifth in the standings with 17 points, on equal points with Williams in fourth.
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- Note: Only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings.
Notes
edit- ↑ Lewis Hamilton originally set the fastest lap, but was later disqualified as the thickness of the plank assembly was below the minimum thickness required.[3] Lando Norris, initially having the second-fastest lap, was recognised for setting the fastest lap of the race.[4]
- ↑ Both Ferrari cars were initially disqualified after the 1999 Malaysian Grand Prix,[27] but the team lodged an appeal that was upheld.[28]
References
edit- 1 2 3 4 5 "Chinese Grand Prix 2025 – F1 Race". Formula1.com. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
- ↑ "220,000 Attend 2025 Chinese Grand Prix". F1 Destinations. 24 March 2025. Retrieved 24 March 2025.
- 1 2 "Hamilton disqualified from Chinese GP after skid block breach as Ferrari suffer double disqualification". Formula1.com. 23 March 2025. Retrieved 23 March 2025.
- ↑ "2025 Chinese Grand Prix – Final Race Classification" (PDF). Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. 23 March 2025. Retrieved 23 March 2025.
- ↑ "Shanghai". StatsF1.com. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
- ↑ "China 2025". StatsF1. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
- ↑ "FIA and Formula 1 announce 2025 Sprint calendar". Formula1.com. 11 July 2024. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
- ↑ "FIA help F1 teams after Chinese GP 'logistical challenges'". Racingnews365. 19 March 2025. Retrieved 20 March 2025.
- ↑ "Australia 2025 – Championship". Stats F1. 16 March 2025. Retrieved 16 March 2025.
- ↑ "2025 Chinese Grand Prix – Entry List" (PDF). Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. 20 March 2025. Retrieved 20 March 2025.
- ↑ "Tsunoda to replace Lawson at Red Bull from Japanese GP as New Zealander drops down to Racing Bulls". Formula1.com. 27 March 2025.
- 1 2 "A Chinese weekend that presents many challenges as well as something new". Pirelli.com. 18 March 2025. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
- ↑ "Norris leads Leclerc and Piastri during FP1 in China". www.formula1.com. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "Formula 1 Heineken Chinese Grand Prix 2025 – Sprint Grid". Formula1.com. 21 March 2025. Retrieved 21 March 2025.
- 1 2 "Hamilton charges to pole over Verstappen and Piastri during Sprint Qualifying thriller in China". Formula1.com. 21 March 2025. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
- ↑ "Formula 1 Heineken Chinese Grand Prix 2025 – Sprint Qualifying". Formula1.com. 21 March 2025. Retrieved 21 March 2025.
- ↑ "Hamilton storms to Sprint victory and first Ferrari win in China ahead of Verstappen and Piastri". Formula1.com. 22 March 2025. Retrieved 22 March 2025.
- ↑ "Formula 1 Heineken Chinese Grand Prix 2025 – Sprint". Formula1.com. 22 March 2025. Retrieved 22 March 2025.
- ↑ "Infringement – Car 7 – Incident with Car 5" (PDF). Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. 22 March 2025. Retrieved 22 March 2025.
- ↑ "Piastri edges out Russell and Norris for breakthrough maiden F1 pole during Chinese GP Qualifying". Formula1.com. 22 March 2025. Retrieved 22 March 2025.
- ↑ "Formula 1 Heineken Chinese Grand Prix 2025 – Qualifying". Formula1.com. 22 March 2025. Retrieved 22 March 2025.
- 1 2 3 "Formula 1 Heineken Chinese Grand Prix 2025 – Starting Grid". Formula1.com. 22 March 2025. Retrieved 22 March 2025.
- 1 2 3 "Piastri beats Norris and Russell to victory in Chinese Grand Prix with statement performance". Formula1.com. 23 March 2025. Retrieved 23 March 2025.
- ↑ Suttill, Josh; Noble, Jon (23 March 2025). "Why Leclerc was quicker than Hamilton in a damaged Ferrari". The Race. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
- ↑ Harrington, Alex (3 April 2025). "Aston Martin reveals reason behind Fernando Alonso brake issue in China". Motorsport.com. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
- ↑ "Leclerc and Gasly disqualified from Chinese Grand Prix over car weight breaches". Formula1.com. 23 March 2025. Retrieved 23 March 2025.
- ↑ "Disqualifications certain in Malaysian GP". Hürriyet Daily News. Archived from the original on 5 June 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2025.
- ↑ "Malaysian GP Ferrari Receives Final Decision on Appeal". Motorsport.com. Archived from the original on 11 August 2016. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
- ↑ Noble, Jon (24 March 2025). "Did tyre wear really cause Leclerc's Chinese GP disqualification?". The Race. Retrieved 24 March 2025.
- ↑ "Formula 1 Heineken Chinese Grand Prix 2025 – Race Result". Formula1.com. 23 March 2025. Retrieved 23 March 2025.
- ↑ "China 2025". StatsF1.com. Retrieved 23 March 2025.
- ↑ "Infringement – Car 7 – Forcing another driver off the track" (PDF). Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. 23 March 2025. Retrieved 23 March 2025.
- ↑ "Infringement – Car 16 – Technical non-compliance (Weight)" (PDF). Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. 23 March 2025. Retrieved 23 March 2025.
- ↑ "Infringement – Car 10 – Technical non-compliance (Weight)" (PDF). Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. 23 March 2025. Retrieved 23 March 2025.
- ↑ "Infringement – Car 44 – Technical non-compliance (Plank Assembly)" (PDF). Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. 23 March 2025. Retrieved 23 March 2025.
- 1 2 "China 2025 – Championship". Stats F1. 23 March 2025. Retrieved 23 March 2025.
