McLaren’s Piastri takes Chinese Grand Prix win ahead of teammate Norris

McLaren driver Oscar Piastri has cruised to his maiden Chinese Grand Prix win from pole position with the Australian untouchable ahead of his teammate Lando Norris as the pair completed McLaren’s milestone 50th one-two placing in Formula 1, at the Shanghai International Circuit, in Shanghai.

Piastri, who took his maiden pole position on Saturday, got a great start in yesterday’s race to lead into the first corner, as Norris passed Russell for second.

The Australian then slowly stretched his legs in an untroubled drive for his third career win.

Norris had a trickier afternoon to earn his runner-up spot – with the Brit having to pass Mercedes’ George Russell and Williams’ Alex Albon after his stop. He then trailed his teammate to the checkered flag, though in the closing stages had to deal with a worsening brake pedal issue that threatened him finishing the race.

Russell completed the podium, his second-straight for the season.

Last year’s race winner, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen took fourth from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in the closing laps, with the Monégasque’s race compromised by lap one contact with his Scuderia teammate Lewis Hamilton that sheared the left-front endplate from his front wing which hampered his car’s aerodynamics throughout the race.

Hamilton, who took Saturday’s Sprint race for his first victory for Ferrari, was in sixth place.

On Saturday, Oscar Piastri scored his maiden pole position in Formula 1 ahead the Chinese Grand Prix by delivering two sizzling laps that were quick enough for the top spot ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell.

The 23-year-old Australian, who is maximizing his weekend with second in Saturday morning’s Sprint race, said he’s “pretty pumped” to go one better Sunday, with the major challenge being tire wear.

Piastri, who started the 56-lap race two places ahead of McLaren teammate Lando Norris, set it up by putting it all on the line on his final Q3 lap.

“My first lap was honestly better than my second lap, but just at the end of the (back) straight I lost a bit of time and didn’t do the best hairpin,” Piastri said.

“On the second lap,” he continued, “I was about two-tenths down on myself. So, I kind of just went ‘why not send it into the hairpin’ and I gained those back, and found a little bit more in the last corner. I was tempted to box before that, so I’m pretty happy now that I didn’t.”

Piastri’s first pole is also the first for an Australian since countryman Daniel Ricciardo for Red Bull at the 2018 Mexican Grand Prix.

“It’s nice to do for myself, but it is also nice to do it for Australia as well,” he said. MDT/AP