Lewis Hamilton’s Sprint Victory Lights Up Shanghai

Lewis Hamilton stamped his name on Ferrari history Saturday morning, storming to a lights-to-flag win in the Chinese Grand Prix sprint race—his first triumph in red and a shot across the bow of F1’s 2025 season.

In just his second weekend with the Scuderia, the seven-time champ snagged pole and owned the 19-lap dash at Shanghai International Circuit, outpacing old foe Max Verstappen and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri.

The victory, Hamilton’s first in F1’s sprint format since its 2021 debut, wasn’t just a stat-line stunner; it was a lifeline for Ferrari after a limp opener in Australia. “From Lap 1 here this weekend, I’ve been feeling on it. The engineers have done a great job, the mechanics have done a great job to really fine-tune the car — it felt great today, I got a good start, there’s so much grip on this new tarmac it’s hard to look after these new tires and I think everyone was struggling out there the same.”

He didn’t stop there, digging into the switch from Mercedes: “The first race was difficult and obviously, I think I really do feel a lot of people underestimated the steep climb it is to get into a new team, to become acclimatized within the team and understanding communication and all sorts of things. The amount of critics and people I’ve heard yapping along the way just clearly not understanding, maybe they’ve never had the experience or just unaware, so it’s felt great to come here and feel comfortable in the car because in Melbourne I didn’t feel comfortable in the car.”

A Sprint of Skill and Strategy

The 19-lap sprint—short, sharp, and brutal—kicked off under Shanghai’s hazy sky, a prelude to Saturday’s full Grand Prix qualifying (3 a.m. ET, ESPN2). Hamilton’s Ferrari SF-25 leapt off the line, his start a clinic on Shanghai’s grippy new asphalt—a resurfacing that’s flipped tire wear into a wild card.

Verstappen’s Red Bull RB21 hounded him for 10 laps, the Dutchman’s front tires clawing for traction as Hamilton held firm. By Lap 11, Verstappen’s grip faded, his focus shifting to fend off Piastri’s McLaren MCL39. The Aussie pounced on Lap 15, snatching second but trailing Hamilton by 6.8 seconds at the flag—too far to challenge.

Piastri’s second-place grab showcased McLaren’s pace, but Norris’ tumble from fifth to eighth—bungling Turn 6 at the start—cost the Melbourne victor dearly, netting just one point. Mercedes’ George Russell nabbed fourth, slipping past Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari at Turn 14 on Lap 1, while Leclerc settled for fifth. Racing Bulls’ Yuki Tsunoda shone in sixth, stonewalling Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s, who took seventh.

Sunday’s Grand Prix beckons—Hamilton’s second crack at a Ferrari GP win, a chance to double down. Verstappen’s wounded, Piastri’s prowling, and the field’s tight…