00:00It will be a long, hard stare at the five red lights when they go out.
00:05Second Grand Prix of the year will begin.
00:07The Chinese Grand Prix is underway with a good reaction time for George Russell,
00:13who's claimed that inside line.
00:14He's got an opportunity to dive to the inside, but Piastri was brave,
00:18and he chops across George Russell, who's vulnerable and loses out a second position.
00:23Russell will try and regather his thoughts, but he's lost the place to Lando Norris,
00:26who improves up from third to second.
00:28Piastri, then Norris.
00:30Russell had a side to the lead, but drops down to third.
00:32Hamilton improved up to fourth.
00:34Charles Leclerc is in fifth.
00:35Max Verstappen drops down a couple of places.
00:38Yeah, that's a brilliant start for Lando Norris, and that will be reassuring,
00:41because he lost a bunch of places last year.
00:43But feisty got his head, and here comes George Russell back at him.
00:46Brave stuff to do that into seven.
00:49Here we go into turn number eight.
00:50That Mercedes is fast in a straight line,
00:52but if you have a half look, you could endanger yourself to Lewis Hamilton behind.
00:56Well, that's exactly what happened to George at the start.
00:59He was desperate for that inside to get the lead in the clear air,
01:02but had himself pinned to the inside line,
01:04and Lando could sweep around the outside.
01:06Further back, Max loses out to both Ferraris.
01:10This is Russell, and he has the overlap, which is just so enticing to go and throw your car,
01:14but it's not a big enough braking zone to launch a lunge,
01:16and he was right to back out of it, but it was just too late.
01:20This is Charles Leclerc on the inside, hugging the white line and the kerb.
01:24Ah, he oversteers over the kerb, and it just knocks him wide into Hamilton.
01:29Gabriel Bortoleto was towards the back of the field, starting this one in 19th.
01:3219th, he's still running in the Grand Prix, but the car, heavy with fuel on the opening lap and round
01:38he went.
01:40Brake on fire, Alonso.
01:42Alonso slowing, having had a brake fire reported by one of his competitors,
01:47and the man in the middle of the pack, who started this race in 13th,
01:52is surely trundling back to the pits to become our first retirement to the Grand Prix.
01:58Oscar Piastri is about to hit his marks, crucial pit stop in the context of the Grand Prix.
02:04These are the pressure moments for McLaren, the reigning world champions,
02:06and it's not as efficient as they've managed in the past.
02:093.8 seconds, potentially.
02:11I know he's going to get fresher rubber as Russell comes in as well,
02:14and now Lando Norris knows he's got an opportunity to make the difference.
02:183.8 seconds, a little bit vulnerable, but there will be fresher rubber for Piastri.
02:22Crucial that he doesn't get any traffic as he comes out of the pits.
02:26And let's go to Esteban Ocon.
02:28He's made the move on the Mercedes, has he?
02:30Because that was the car in front.
02:31Ocon going super brave, and he's got to the inside.
02:35Exactly a car's width left, and he took the chance.
02:39Let's see.
02:402.2, better stop for Norris.
02:43Expecting him to be around 2 seconds in proximity to Piastri when he comes over the line,
02:47but let's see how close the two McLarens are.
02:49An important out lap for Piastri.
02:51He will get there now.
02:52Can Norris get out ahead of the traffic?
02:54Can George Russell get back the place?
02:56That he got at the start.
02:57Tyres won't be the same temperature as well.
02:59Russell's will be in a better window.
03:01They've got the marker in the way as well.
03:03Russell gets ahead.
03:05Crucial moment.
03:06George Russell, brave.
03:08They were battling up against the driver who's meant to be leaping out of the way.
03:11It's probably doesn't have to leap out of the way.
03:13They're racing with position right now.
03:14He might have old tyres, but he's allowed to race with position.
03:18No blue flags.
03:19And a crucial moment of hesitation rewards George Russell with what will be second place.
03:25And then you see, surely Lando Norris will sweep by.
03:28He does sweep by.
03:29Stroll yet to stop.
03:30Through goes Russell up to second place.
03:32And Norris having the option to take second again.
03:36Net second on the road.
03:37Finds himself falling behind the Mercedes man.
03:42Can Lando Norris reclaim the position?
03:44He knows it's vital if he's going to win this Grand Prix.
03:46He's got a car in between him and his teammate.
03:48He's diving to the inside.
03:50And Lando Norris takes back the place.
03:53A crucial move if he's going to win the Chinese Grand Prix.
03:57That could be defining for who takes home the largest trophy today.
04:02Everyone has walked this lap.
04:05Walk now.
04:05Yeah, it makes sense.
04:07Leclerc's been too close for too long in this race.
04:09And even though Lewis has looked better throughout so much of it.
04:12Charles has the better chance from what we've seen so far.
04:14So Lewis has got to try and prove that wrong.
04:16And stay with his teammate now.
04:17And both catch up to George Russell.
04:19And then he might get the payback.
04:22This is Oliver Bearman.
04:23We're getting a replay of the British driver.
04:26Getting past the New Zealander.
04:28Underbraking at the hairpin.
04:29Or at least the lap before he was able.
04:31There you go.
04:32Charles.
04:33Next one, Ali.
04:36This is Oliver Bearman pushing on fresher rubber.
04:39Trying his favoured move.
04:41He is enjoying the superior traction.
04:44On that long first stint.
04:46And he powers by.
04:47Bearman gets a round of applause from his American team.
04:50He's up to P15.
04:53It's another lovely late braking move from Oliver Bearman.
04:56He's making his way through the traffic.
04:58He's operating about a second faster than Lance Stroll on that old hard tyre.
05:03So that medium is giving him the advantage at the moment.
05:06He's passing cars as well.
05:08Bearman checking the mirror.
05:09And seeing colour signs in it.
05:12So Hamilton goes to the fresher rubber.
05:14Doesn't have the performance on the hard tyre.
05:17And will look to try and take on the medium and attack further on.
05:21He will have superb pace as he moves on.
05:23You said a hard tyre.
05:25But he'll just hammer that out now to the end of the race.
05:29Bearman to the outside of Pierre Gasly.
05:33Going again for it.
05:34Up and under on the exit.
05:36Squeeze on the throttle with fresher tyres.
05:37But he's on the outside again for the final corner.
05:40So he's not getting the same burst of traction on the medium tyre as he made his way out.
05:46Let's see if he can be braver on his way down.
05:48Pulls out of the slipstream.
05:49Didn't know when he was going to be able to.
05:51And straight by this time.
05:53So Bearman attacking.
05:55And Bearman finding his way past the Alpine.
05:58Up to 10th position.
06:01Wait, front-wheel damage from what?
06:03I don't know how Sonoda's picked that up.
06:06Was okay.
06:07He was trying to get up to the back of Sainz.
06:09Was very close to the back of Sainz coming into Turn 1.
06:12Ah, yeah.
06:13Look, it's just through the turbulent air of the car in front.
06:16You go through all sorts of crash testing ahead of putting your car on the racetrack.
06:20But the only way you really find out how it performs is in close combat.
06:26Norris wants every point he can get.
06:28But Piastri wants to be a contender for this world championship.
06:32You are looking at the current world champion.
06:33We're on board.
06:34Nose Cam as he tries to go the long way around to turn the outside line into the inside line.
06:39Leclerc knew he was trying to do that.
06:41And he roars around the outside.
06:42Does he get the place?
06:43He does.
06:45Fourth position for Max Verstappen in the final stages of the race.
06:49Yeah, look, that's a beautiful pass.
06:50No question about it.
06:51As Charles comes back.
06:53Can they make their way through Turn 6?
06:56They've gone away with that one.
06:58That was super late on the breaks.
07:00For the man from Monaco, they're not separated by much.
07:03But the place now belongs to Verstappen.
07:06After the misery of Melbourne, Oscar Piastri was consumed with rage.
07:11You are watching his emphatic response.
07:14For Piastri, the time is now.
07:16Oscar Piastri wins the Chinese Grand Prix for only his third Grand Prix victory.
07:23And Lando Norris nurses home the McLaren.
07:26He might not have a brake pedal left, but he's got second place.
07:30George Russell got within 1.3 seconds of Norris.
07:34He completes the podium.
07:36The champagne flows for McLaren and Oscar Piastri.
07:40Lando Norris making it a 1-2 as well.
07:43Their 50th in the sport.
07:45The first was back in 1968.
07:47And it was Denny Hulme beating team founder Bruce McLaren.
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