Lewis Hamilton celebrated his first win for Ferrari on Saturday, answering his critics by leading the Chinese Grand Prix sprint from start to finish in only his second race for the Italian Formula One team.
The seven-times world champion, starting from a surprise pole position, managed his tyres superbly to take the chequered flag 6.889 seconds clear of McLarens Oscar Piastri with Red Bulls Max Verstappen finishing third in the 100km race.
It was the first time Hamilton, the winner of a record 105 regular grands prix who joined from Mercedes in January, and Ferrari had won a sprint since the shortened format was introduced in 2021.
McLarens Lando Norris, winner of the season-opener in Australia , stayed top of the standings after struggling to seize a point in eighth. Norris now has 26 points to Verstappens 24.
Hamiltons Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc was fifth, behind Mercedes George Russell. I woke up feeling great today, said Hamilton, whose masterclass performance was watched by father Anthony from the Ferrari garage.
