Oscar Piastri: Chinese F1 Grand Prix winner pressures Max Verstappen in driver title standings

Australia’s F1 superstar, Oscar Piastri, has rocketed up the Formula One standings after his superb victory in the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday.

The young McLaren ace stayed cool under the pressure of a hard fought pole position and held off a strong first-turn challenge from the Mercedes of British driver George Russell.

From there Piastri was faultless and built a lead that seemed only to grow with every turn in the 56-lap event.

The famous win now moves Piastri into fourth place on the driver championship standings ladder, only two points adrift of four-time world champion Max Verstappen, who finished off the podium in fourth place.

Piastri’s teammate Lando Norris who endured persistent brake issues for the majority of the race, managed to hold his machine together to deliver McLaren a one-two finish.

The result extends Norris’s lead in the drivers championship and also speared Zak Brown’s all orange flyer’s into a commanding early lead in the race for the lucrative constructor’s title.

“It’s been an incredible weekend, from from start to finish,” Piastri said.

“The car’s been pretty mega the whole time.

“Just proud of the whole weekend.

“This is what I feel like I deserved from last week, so extremely happy.

“The team did a mega job.

“Very proud of the race we managed to pull off because it wasn’t an easy one going in.”

After two rounds of the 24 this season completed, Piastri sits fourth in the driver standings, 10 points behind leader Norris (44 pts).

“It is awesome to have Oscar get his first pole, he’s been so close, and it was a mega lap, only he and George improved on the second lap, I think the wind direction changed so it was an awesome third sector,” McLaren Team Principal Zak Brown said after his young gun sealed the prized pole position ahead the race.

Piastri’s fellow Australian Jack Doohan came 16th, after being unable to finish in his first home GP last Sunday.

He was running in 14th position, but was slapped with a 10-second penalty with only a few laps to go.

The drivers will have next weekend off before heading to Japan for the next round on April 4-6.

2025 F1 Drivers Championship Standings

1 Lando Norris GBR McLaren Mercedes 44pts

2 Max Verstappen NED Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT 36

3 George Russell GBR Mercedes 35

4 Oscar Piastri AUS McLaren Mercedes 34

5 Kimi Antonelli ITA Mercedes 22

6 Alexander Albon THA Williams Mercedes 16

7 Esteban Ocon FRA Haas Ferrari 10

8 Lance Stroll CAN Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes 10

9 Lewis Hamilton GBR Ferrari 9

10 Charles Leclerc MON Ferrari 8

11 Nico Hulkenberg GER Kick Sauber Ferrari 6

12 Oliver Bearman GBR Haas Ferrari 4

13 Yuki Tsunoda JPN Racing Bulls Honda RBPT 3

14 Carlos Sainz ESP Williams Mercedes 1

15 Isack Hadjar FRA Racing Bulls Honda RBPT 0

16 Pierre Gasly FRA Alpine Renault 0

17 Liam Lawson NZL Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT 0

18 Jack Doohan AUS Alpine Renault 0

19 Gabriel Bortoleto BRA Kick Sauber Ferrari 0