F1: Lewis Hamilton crushed in China’s sprint and celebrated Ferrari

The English was relentless with its SF-25 in the short race of the second date of the World Cup. Oscar Piastri beat Max Verstappen to be second and Lando Norris failed again.

Context. It was just a sprint, a short race that gave only eight points. But for Lewis Hamilton it has a much larger and more special value. Because in its 19th season in Formula 1 it is fulfilling a dream that I had since a child: running in Ferrari. Feeling that passion of the Tifosi, the Italian heat, represent the most important team in the history of the category. And he got it, at 40. Many were skeptical, they considered that I was already a bit large to hit that leap. To top it off, the pass from Mercedes took place after two seasons in which little remained of that predator who won and won. There were few who pointed it out as it was already a slow pilot. But the heptacampeón swallowed and continued with its goal. The start was complicated, at least. “It was a disaster,” English was sincere on the passage through Australia. A serious team error in the data collected in the simulator were impossible to save in reality and Hamilton was just tenth in the crazy Melbourne race. Ferrari picked up the glove, accepted his error and prepared for China and Hamilton started with everything when winning the Sprint race.

Yes, it is true, it was barely the sprint of the second date of a season of 24 and the greatest number of points will be at stake in Sunday’s main race. But there are so many things behind this success to fill Hamilton with joy … The smallest is that it was his first victory in a sprint, item that Max Verstappen leads with 11. But it was his first great joy with Ferrari, the dream begins to be fulfilled. Because English not only wanted to run red dressed, his longing is being a champion with the Scuderia. And after Australia that seemed very distant, but in China the illusion returned.

And there were more, because he had a hand -to -hand duel with Verstappen, after so long. Lewis has the spine of Abu Dhabi 2021 nailed and each duel with the Dutch is special. In the Shanghai sprint they chopped from the front row and the British Ferrari controlled any attack attempt with a great movement and before reaching the first curve he had already closed the door to any attempt. The tetracampeón, with his Red Bull did what he could to press Hamilton. And burned all the ships in the fifth and sixth laps. He was shot at the Ferrari, but the heptacampeon accelerated his SF-25 and goodbye. From there to the end it was a beating, while the Dutchman lost more and more performance with his tires already exhausted. Just that great fort that had that almost unbeatable RB19 that did not wear out the covers is the antithesis of the RB21 (the same happened with the RB20 of 2024). Max could not contain the attack of Oscar Piastri, who, with a surgical maneuver, was left with second place.

The list of reasons for joy for Hamilton was not over there. He won with Ferrari, was overwhelming, showed vestiges of that dominant pilot, beat Verstappen and … crushed Charles Leclerc. Lewis’s land inside the Scuderia is not easy. Without good in Maranello, they bet strong (from the bank, of course) for the arrival of English, the Monegasco is the mimado baby, which has been in the team for seven seasons, which arrived from the lower ones, the one who speaks perfect Italian … It is worth clarifying that in Ferrari it is necessary to speak Italian, there is no other. That is why Lewis is taking classes to be able to tell you to you to the Tifosi. To top it off, in Australia’s complicated career, he clearly lost with Leclerc. The beginning was hard. But in Shanghai he won his partner with great authority, who could barely be fifth and showed his face of annoyance for the walk of his car.

“I know that the Tifosi and the team want to win, but this is built one step at the same time. We will continue to push, you have to be calm, ”said Hamilton after his successwhile the “Lewis, Lewis” fell from the stands. Much and most important to close the Chinese weekend: classification and main race. For that moment, the list of candidates that seemed to have the McLaren as exclusive protagonists, now it has to make room for one Lewis Hamilton.

Chinese sprint result