By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Lewis Hamilton made his critics eat their words as he carried out one of his best moves to bring his critics back down to earth, making them reassess their opinions in the Chinese Grand Prix sprint race, marking his first win with Ferrari.
The 40-year-old Briton expertly managed his tires to control the race from start to finish, fending off a challenge from Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
Verstappen’s early push was thumped by Hamilton’s masterful driving, and he eventually fell prey to McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who executed a clinical pass on lap 14 to claim second place.
Hamilton’s victory was a stark contrast to his disappointing Ferrari debut in Australia, where he qualified eighth and finished 10th. The seven-time champion’s victory was met with praise from his engineer, Riccardo Adami, who commended Hamilton’s “masterclass in tire management.”
“I woke up feeling great today,” Hamilton said. “The engineers and mechanics have done a great job to fine-tune the car, and it felt great today.”
Verstappen’s third-place finish saw him trim McLaren’s Lando Norris’ championship lead to just two points. Norris salvaged a point with a late pass on Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin, despite struggling with front tire grip throughout the race.
The Chinese Grand Prix sprint race set the stage for an intense battle for supremacy in the Formula 1 championship. With Hamilton’s redemption and Piastri’s impressive performance, the competition is heating up.
With such a race involving the toughest rivals of the Hamilton, yet could squeeze out a win right in their presence,this marks a promising season for Hamilton.