Summary

Live Reporting

Lorraine McKenna

  1. Lap 31/56

    This has been lonely race for four-time world champion Max Verstappen in sixth place. He did joke he would need other cars to retire for him to win this Chinese Grand Prix, but the Red Bull man would need a major incident in order to get anywhere near to the front.

    Max VerstappenGetty Images

  2. Sam Bird
    Formula E driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    These cars so aerodynamically independent that you want that clean air flowing over your car.

    If you're running close behind someone you're not getting that over your front wing, effectively taking downforce away from you and then you're having to use more mechanical grip to try and do the same lap time, that will then hurt tyre performance.

  3. Lap 30/56

    The Ferrari of Charles Leclerc has George Russell just a fraction ahead in third place, but the Ferrari man is hot on the brakes in to Turn 14 and twitches slightly, giving Russell the jump to pull clear.

  4. Lap 29/56

    "We've asked for the car ahead to help you," Lando Norris' engineer says. Who is the the car in front? Erm.. his team-mate, Oscar Piastri. Get a move on, Oscar.

  5. Sam Bird
    Formula E driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    It looks like Charles Leclerc is using a lot more apex kerb to try and help rotate that car in comparison to Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.

  6. Lap 28/56

    Race leader Oscar Piastri is 3.4 seconds clear of McLaren team-mate Lando Norris in second. The mini battle between George Russell in third and Charles Leclerc in fourth is continuing, but the Ferrari has yet to make enough gains in order to pounce fully on the Mercedes.

    Oscar PiastriGetty Images

  7. Lap 27/56

    Oliver Bearman started on the hards and has made it to lap 27 before coming in and switching to the medium compound. The British Haas driver is now in 17th place.

  8. Get Involved

    #BBCF1

    Larry Jay: If Leclerc cant overtake his teammate with a broken front wing. What makes Ferrari think he will overtake Russell? Get that front wing changed.

  9. Lap 26/56

    Charles Leclerc has the pace, even with a dodgy front wing, but the Ferrari still can't get close enough to the Mercedes of George Russell.

  10. Lap 25/56

    George Russell clocks another fastest lap as Charles Leclerc marvels at the strength of the car. "The Mercedes is a dragster out of Turn 12. Unbelievable," says the Ferrari man.

  11. Lap 24/56

    Over with Lewis Hamilton, the 40-year-old is on the team radio asking his engineer to give him some feedback; throw him some information to help with his race. Communication will take time between the seven-time world champion and the Italian team.

    Lewis HamiltonGetty Images

  12. 'A bit of clash of culture going on there'

    Andrew Benson
    BBC F1 correspondent

    What's interesting about this is Lewis Hamilton is saying he will decide when to swap but that is not how it works at Ferrari.

    It's engrained in the team that the drivers race for Ferrari and Ferrari is more important.

    There's a bit of clash of culture going on there.

  13. Lap 23/56

    It seems Charles Leclerc doesn't need to run this race in Shanghai with a front wing endplate. The Ferrari man is closing down the Mercedes of George Russell and could have a chance at challenging for that final podium position.

  14. Top five

    Lap 22/56

    1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

    2. Lando Norris (McLaren)

    3. George Russell (Mercedes)

    4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

    5. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)

    Oscar PiastriGetty Images

  15. Lap 21/56

    Charles Leclerc passes team-mate Lewis Hamilton for fourth place, the seven-time world champion now in the fifth spot he started in.

    Alex Albon was briefly leading the Chinese Grand Prix but his long stint on those mediums means he's now down to 14th place.

    Lewis Hamilton ahead of Charles LeclercGetty Images

  16. Sam Bird
    Formula E driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    The politics are starting at Ferrari already.

    At the moment Charles Leclerc is the quicker car and if they want to try and get onto the back of George Russell and scrap for a third place finish, then I think Leclerc is the car to do it.

  17. Lap 20/56

    With no dirty air to disturb him, Oscar Piastri has a four-second gap to his team-mate Lando Norris. Alex Albon finally comes in to ditch his medium tyres, as Lewis Hamilton is debating with his pit wall when would be the best time to swap places with Charles Leclerc.

  18. Sam Bird
    Formula E driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    Alex Albon is fighting for one or two points, if he's going to try and do a one-stop the last thing he wants to do is fight faster cars that he's not in the race with and use up any additional tyre life.

  19. Piastri leads, Norris second

    Lap 19/56

    Charles Leclerc is hunting down his Ferrari team-mate Lewis Hamilton - that early contact not hampering the Monegasque man's race too much. Lando Norris has passed the Williams of Alex Albon (running those old mediums) so the McLarens are back to running one and two.

    Oscar PiastriGetty Images

  20. Norris up to P3

    Lap 18/56

    George Russell is clocking a fastest lap just as Lando Norris comes sneaking up behind with DRS. The McLaren driver rockets through on the Mercedes and is back up to third spot.

    Alex Albon hasn't stopped, along with Lance Stroll, but Oscar Piastri has. The Australian makes smooth move on the Williams to regain the lead of this Chinese Grand Prix.