Hamilton Shines in the Sprint at Shanghai!
The Chinese Grand Prix sprint race just wrapped up, and it provided plenty of drama and excitement for the fans. This weekend marked the first sprint race of the 2025 season, after a challenging Sprint Qualifying session on Friday, all eyes were on Lewis Hamilton and his red Ferrari. The crowd hoping for some amazing drive from the seven time world champion to defend the pole. Hamilton’s last pole was in 2023 Hungary Grand Prix, and he just managed a 4th place finish there.
During Sprint Qualifying, Hamilton delivered a stunning performance. He set a blistering lap of 1:30.849, narrowly beating Max Verstappen by just 0.018 seconds and edging past McLaren’s Oscar Piastri. His time not only secured his first pole position with Ferrari, but also set a new lap record at the Shanghai International Circuit. When Hamilton heard the news over the radio, he could hardly believe it. “I woke up feeling great today,” he said with evident excitement and a few laughs, adding that the team’s work had really made the car come alive from lap one.
In the sprint race itself, Hamilton carried that momentum forward, gave some fabulous drive and set the pole to win. Despite some tyre graining on his SF-25, he managed to build a commanding lead over his younger rivals. As the laps ticked by, his drive stood out as one of the most impressive of the weekend. Hamilton’s ability to maintain speed and manage his tyres under pressure demonstrated both skill and determination of a seven time world champion, and setting him apart from his competitors. While Verstappen and Piastri fought behind and made strong efforts to close the gap, Hamilton’s consistent pace and smooth driving allowed him to secure a comfortable victory. The win of the Shanghai sprint race is the first win Lewis got with Ferrari, and also the first ever sprint race win for both himself and the whole team.
This performance not only highlights Hamilton’s enduring talent but also sends a strong message to the rest of the field. His drive in both Sprint Qualifying and the sprint race has re-established him as a force to be reckoned with in this new season, and fans will be eagerly watching to see how he carries this momentum into the main race. The sprint race also leave us some question, is Ferrari’s speed sustainable? Or it will be a Papaya show again? Will there be any strategy highlights or error due to the extreme high tire wear this year in Shanghai? We will soon find out at Sunday.
