Lewis Hamilton hailed for ‘masterclass’ Sprint victory before Ferrari star immediately takes aim at ‘yapping’ critics

LEWIS HAMILTON fired back at “yapping”; critics after sealing his first Ferrari win on just the second race weekend.

The 40-year-old British driver has entered a new era as he bagged his first-ever Sprint win since the new format began in 2021.

To make victory even sweeter, Hamilton held off his old foe Max Verstappen who finished third but started in P2, while Oscar Piastri finished second.

Hamilton's win was a huge statement as he finished the 19-lap sprint a whopping 6.8 seconds ahead of the Aussie McLaren driver.

After crossing the line he was praised by engineer Riccardo Adami for a “masterclass in tyre management”.

Piastri hit back in qualifying as he took pole position for Sunday's race while George Russell‘s Mercedes nipped between him and his McLaren team-mate Lando Norris, while Verstappen finished in fourth and Hamilton fifth.

After the Sprint win, Hamilton took another dig at his critics following his disappointing season opener in Melbourne last weekend.

He said: “The first race was difficult and obviously, I think I really do feel a lot of people underestimated the steep climb it is to get into a new team,

“To become acclimatized within the team and understanding communication and all sorts of things.

“The amount of critics and people I've heard yapping along the way just clearly not understanding.

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“Maybe they've never had the experience or just unaware, so it's felt great to come here and feel comfortable in the car, because in Melbourne I didn't feel comfortable in the car.”

The Ferrari driver had started on pole – the first Brit to achieve the feat for the team since Nigel Mansell in 1990 – after setting a new track record for the Shanghai International Circuit on Friday.

Hamilton batted away Verstappen going into Turn 1 and then for the first 10 laps of the sprint.

He had then built enough of a gap to storm over the line after Piastri had passed the Dutchman with four laps to go.

Hamilton finished a disappointing tenth in Melbourne last weekend after qualifying in P8.

He bagged a cushty eight points for winning the Sprint in China, which has propelled him up the standings.

But Hamilton has urged Ferrari’s boisterous Tifosi fanbase to remain calm.

He added: “I know the Tifosi, the fans, the team want to win, and it means everything to them,

“But I said the other day, Rome wasn't built in one day, one step at a time and we're not going to get ahead of ourselves.

“We're going to continue to push, be diligent, remain focused, stay calm – most importantly stay calm – because these moments get everyone excited.

“But we'll be back at our desks after this, focused on qualifying. It's a long, long way. It's a marathon, not a sprint so we've just got to take our time.”

Chinese Grand Prix qualifying grid positions

1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 1:30.641

2. George Russell (Mercedes)

3. Lando Norris (McLaren)

4. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

5. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)

6. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

7. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls)

8. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)

9. Yuki Tsunoda (Racing Bulls)

10. Alex Albon (Williams)

11. Esteban Ocon (Haas)

12. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber)

13. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)

14. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)

15. Carlos Sainz (Williams)

16. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)

17. Oliver Bearman (Haas)

18. Jack Doohan (Alpine)

19. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber)

20. Liam Lawson (Red Bull)