Oscar Piastri hailed his “mega” McLaren after main from pole to win the Chinese language Grand Prix on Sunday forward of teammate Lando Norris.
The cool-headed Australian bounced again from the frustration of his spin within the closing laps of the season-opener in Melbourne every week in the past within the excellent method as he took his third profession grand prix win.
From the second he fended off George Russell’s Mercedes on the first bend, Piastri was in complete management for all 56 laps across the 5.451km Shanghai Worldwide Circuit.
Norris darted previous from third on the grid on the identical flip and the 2 McLarens then sped away, leaving Russell alone for a lot of the race to take his second third-place end of the season.
It made it two grands prix victories out of two for McLaren after championship chief Norris gained in Melbourne.
It was the group’s fiftieth one-two end of their lengthy historical past.
Solely Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, who beat Piastri to pole and chequered flag within the Shanghai dash race on Saturday, denied McLaren a clear sweep.
“It has been an unimaginable weekend, the automotive has been fairly mega,” mentioned Piastri, 23, after McLaren made a one-stop technique work to perfection.
“Very, very blissful. The exhausting was a a lot better tyre than everybody anticipated so to go all the best way to the top was a little bit of a shock, however a cheerful shock.”
– ‘Fortunate Norris’ –
Crimson Bull’s world champion Max Verstappen snatched fourth place after an exciting late go on Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
Hamilton got here house sixth behind his teammate after being the one one of many prime six runners to make a second cease.
Norris had to deal with a late brake concern which compelled him to accept second relatively than launch a problem on his teammate.
“I used to be fortunate. Fortunate to complete the race at present and that is not one thing you wish to be saying,” mentioned a relieved Norris, for whom the end line got here simply in time.
“Brakes are one thing you hate however one thing you actually do want and it could possibly save your life,” he added.
“Sketchy final couple of laps as a result of the brakes have been getting worse and worse each lap. And the final couple of laps I am three or 4 seconds off.
“So fairly nervous.”
The Briton leads the championship after two race weekends on 44 factors from Verstappen on 36. Russell is on 35 with Piastri closing in on 34.
Russell was delighted with third place.
“The automotive has been nice this weekend and possibly one in every of my greatest weekends in Method One when it comes to efficiency, so actually happy with that,” mentioned the Englishman.
Each Ferraris handed Verstappen, who began fourth, on the primary bend.
However the four-time world champion confirmed all his race craft and expertise to nurse his tyres to perfection, biding his time.
He was closing on Hamilton when the Englishman pitted for a second time after which had saved sufficient efficiency to run down Leclerc, sweeping again previous the Ferrari with two laps to go.
“I instantly picked up tyre grip… the place others possibly plateaued a bit extra,” mentioned Dutchman Verstappen, who’s chasing a fifth consecutive world championship.
“The primary half of the race was fairly powerful however we got down to do our personal tempo.”
Haas have been a lot improved from Melbourne, the place they ran thirteenth and 14th, ending with two automobiles within the factors as Esteban Ocon got here seventh and rookie Ollie Bearman tenth.
The opposite factors scorers have been Mercedes teenager Kimi Antonelli in eighth with Alex Albon ninth in his Williams on his twenty ninth birthday.
The third spherical of the season is the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka on April 4-6.
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