Sprint weekends are always intense for everyone involved, demanding quick actions from Friday to Sunday. Shanghai was particularly challenging due to the close competition and it being early in the season for many new driver and team partnerships.
McLaren appeared to be the leading team, especially on the new, smooth track surface that allowed for very fast lap times. However, achieving the perfect lap was difficult for all drivers.
Tyre pressure rules were strict because of the high aerodynamic forces in the long, sweeping first corner and also in Turns 12 and 13 leading onto the back straight.
Drivers had to manage tyre temperatures and pressures carefully during pit lane and out-laps in qualifying, especially after minimum pressures were increased on Friday night. This complex process led to unpredictable results.
This variability resulted in Lewis Hamilton`s Ferrari and Max Verstappen`s Red Bull starting on the front row for the Sprint, while Oscar Piastri`s McLaren and George Russell`s Mercedes led the main race grid. Shanghai was a race of surprises.
Vintage Hamilton in the Sprint
Hamilton delivered a classic performance in the Sprint, leading from pole and managing tyre wear better than others. This victory marked his first for Ferrari and was a great response to a disappointing previous race. It was also the first Sprint win for both Hamilton and Ferrari.
Piastri fought his way to second place, passing Verstappen in a fair move. Many drivers struggled with tyre graining, a problem caused by high grip levels tearing the tyre surface and causing sliding.
Lando Norris, despite leading the championship, made a rare mistake, running wide on the first lap and finishing only eighth. The McLaren car is fast but can be tricky to handle.
Teams are now allowed to adjust their cars before Saturday qualifying to improve performance and tyre management. Many teams seemed to make effective changes.
A major unknown for the race was how the hard tyres would perform. In Sprint weekends, teams get fewer sets of dry tyres, and only two sets are hard compound. Teams are hesitant to test the hard tyres beforehand to avoid giving rivals information. This was especially relevant because the medium tyres had shown significant graining in the Sprint.
Teams changed race strategy on the go
Qualifying for the main race suggested a battle between McLaren`s Piastri and Norris. Piastri secured pole, but Russell`s Mercedes positioned itself on the front row with a clever strategy and a strong lap.
The weather in Shanghai was unusually good throughout the weekend, with slightly more cloud on race day. At the start, Piastri squeezed Russell towards the pit wall, compromising Russell`s entry into Turn One. Norris then overtook Russell on the outside to take second place, a good team move.
Verstappen`s Red Bull had a moment, allowing the Ferraris of Hamilton and Leclerc to attack. Leclerc took a tight line but hit the inside kerb and collided with Hamilton, damaging his front wing. Despite the damage, Leclerc continued, fortunate not to puncture Hamilton`s tyre.
Despite the damaged wing, Leclerc remained competitive, becoming the faster Ferrari driver and eventually being allowed past Hamilton. It was a determined drive from Leclerc, possibly motivated by watching Hamilton win the Sprint earlier. However, these efforts would ultimately be in vain.
The expected strategy was a two-stop race using medium and hard tyres. Some drivers further back started on hard tyres as an alternative. Initially, the hard tyres seemed effective, but the strategy`s success was unclear as early hard tyre users pitted relatively early.
The leaders, on medium tyres, began their first pit stops around Lap 14. Norris pitted a lap later, which put him behind Russell again. Norris then had to overtake Russell again to restore McLaren`s 1-2 position.
The tyres seemed durable, leading teams to consider a one-stop strategy, avoiding a 23-second pit stop.
McLaren are on a roll
Verstappen started to improve his pace, possibly due to lighter fuel or track conditions, and caught the Ferraris. He even set his fastest lap towards the end, which was unexpected.
Hamilton pitted, aiming to attack on fresher tyres, but this placed him behind Verstappen. Hamilton pushed hard, which may have contributed to his later disqualification.
The hard tyres proved to last over 42 laps, performing better than anticipated, as Piastri noted.
Two-stop strategies, like Hamilton`s and those of the Racing Bulls drivers, did not pay off.
Norris faced a brake issue in the final lap, making it hard to challenge Piastri, and he barely held off Russell.
This result marked McLaren`s 50th 1-2 finish, highlighting their current strong form.
There was intense racing further down the field, with drivers like Liam Lawson and Jack Doohan under pressure to perform.
Fernando Alonso retired for the second race in a row, this time with a brake problem.
Pain for Ferrari after miscalculation
The major shock was the post-race disqualification of both Ferraris and Gasly`s Alpine. Leclerc and Gasly were disqualified for being underweight. Similar to Russell`s disqualification previously, tyre wear and high fuel consumption during a fast, safety-car-free race contributed to weight loss. Even with Leclerc`s damaged wing replaced, his car was still too light. This indicated a miscalculation by the teams regarding minimum weight margins.
Hamilton was also disqualified because his car`s floor was too close to the ground, causing excessive wear to the skid block. This rule is in place to prevent teams from running cars too low for performance gains at the expense of floor durability.
This will be a painful week for Ferrari, despite their Sprint victory.
Kimi Antonelli, despite floor damage early in the race, had a quiet but solid drive to sixth place after the disqualifications. He was surprisingly voted driver of the day by fans.
Other drivers who gained positions due to disqualifications included Verstappen, Ocon, Bearman, Albon, Sainz, and Stroll, all gaining valuable points.
Norris increased his championship lead over Verstappen, and Piastri is now close behind. The competition between the McLaren drivers is set to intensify as they head to Suzuka for the Japanese Grand Prix.
