The 2025 Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit provided a thrilling and controversial race. McLaren driver Oscar Piastri took a dominant victory from pole position, demonstrating the British team’s impressive early season performance.
From the opening lap, Piastri set an unstoppable pace, keeping the gap to team-mate Lando Norris, who crossed the line in second place, securing a historic double for McLaren. The last time the team achieved such a result was in the 2012 season.
British driver George Russell of Mercedes completed the podium in third place, after a solid performance in which he managed his tyres well and took advantage of the incidents on track. However, the race was marked by stewards’ decisions that would drastically change the final result.
Unexpected disqualifications that altered the standings
While Piastri’s victory was beyond doubt, controversy arose after the technical review of several cars. FIA stewards found irregularities in the cars of Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), Pierre Gasly (Alpine) and Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), leading to their disqualification.
Leclerc and Gasly were penalised for failing to comply with the minimum regulatory weight, as their cars weighed 799kg, one kilogramme below the required limit. Hamilton, meanwhile, was disqualified because his car’s lower protective block was not of the required minimum thickness, giving a potential aerodynamic advantage in certain areas of the circuit.
These penalties benefited several drivers, such as Carlos Sainz, who moved up to tenth place and scored a crucial championship point. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) also improved his position, moving up to ninth.
Controversy soon followed, with Ferrari and Alpine protesting the decision, although they eventually accepted the ruling. The FIA reaffirmed its stance of rigorously applying the technical regulations to avoid any unfair advantage.
