The race then unfolded fairly straightforwardly until lap 15, when the race leader triggered the first round of pit stops at the front, rejoining comfortably ahead. Norris, however, lost out to the Mercedes driver, who moved back into second and set off in pursuit of the Australian.
Photo: Race Pictures
Leclerc tried to close in on Russell but without success, while Max Verstappen – who had been largely anonymous up to that point – came alive in the closing stages, piling the pressure on the Monegasque and passing him with three laps to go.
The chequered flag fell on lap 56, with Piastri sealing his first win of the season ahead of his teammate, while Russell completed the podium.
The real bombshell, however, came well after the race had finished: both Ferraris, which had crossed the line fifth and sixth, were found to have breached the plank wear regulations and were subsequently disqualified, leaving the Maranello outfit heading home with a crushing double zero.
F1 2026 Chinese Grand Prix: Full schedule as first Sprint weekend kicks off
The Chinese Grand Prix is set to deliver plenty of intrigue this weekend, both to see if the competitive order from Australia will hold up and because it hosts the first of the season’s six Sprint events.
