SHANGHAI (AFP) – Lewis Hamilton dominated from pole position to take his maiden victory for Ferrari in the sprint race at the Chinese Grand Prix on Saturday.
Hamilton, on just his second race weekend for the Scuderia, took the chequered flag ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
Hamilton emerged from his car after the finish line to a crescendo of cheers from the massed Shanghai fans who unfurled huge banners displaying the Englishman’s number 44.
“I think people underestimate the steep climb it is to get into a new team, understand a new team,” said a delighted Hamilton.
“So it is great to come here and feel more comfortable in the car as in Melbourne I really didn’t feel comfortable in the car.
“It felt great today, I got a good start. I don’t feel the pressure, I know the team wants to win and it means everything to them.
“Rome wasn’t built in a day, so one day at a time.”
His former teammate at Mercedes, George Russell, was fourth and his current teammate Charles Leclerc was fifth in the other Ferrari.
Yuki Tsunoda in an RB was sixth, Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes was seventh and championship leader Lando Norris, who struggled for pace, took a solitary point in eighth for McLaren.
Hamilton got away safely from pole after setting a blistering lap record on Friday at the resurfaced 5.451km Shanghai International Circuit.
By the end of lap three he was 1.1 seconds ahead and out of DRS range from Verstappen with Piastri a further 1.6 seconds back.
Norris started sixth but was caught up in traffic on turn five and dropped to ninth, outside the points, as he was passed by Antonelli, Tsunoda and Lance Stroll.
Russell took advantage of the melee to nip past Leclerc into fourth place.
Verstappen ran in second but was put under huge pressure by Piastri with five laps to go.
“Both of my front tyres are dead,” the Dutch reigning world champion complained on team radio.
On lap 16 Piastri got past Verstappen at the hairpin and set off after Hamilton.
But the Australian could not make inroads and the Englishman managed his tyres to perfection in the clean air at the front of the field.
