Russell delights in third-place finish at Chinese GP, securing back-to-back podiums in 2025

Mercedes driver George Russell celebrated a podium finish at the Chinese Grand Prix, marking back-to-back podiums in 2025 with his third-place result behind McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. Russell started the race second on the grid, following a standout qualifying session where he split the McLaren duo, fueling hopes for a victory push.

While McLaren proved to be “a smidge quicker,” Russell took pride in his third-place finish and the team’s solid weekend, highlighted by a fourth-place in the Sprint. “It’s a great result… especially in front of all these fans,” he commented, acknowledging McLaren's pace. On strategy, Russell noted, “a one-stop could be possible, and it turned out to be slightly easier than anticipated.”

Despite losing to Norris initially, Russell briefly reclaimed P2 in the pits and defended against Charles Leclerc for his podium spot. Reflecting on the race, he shared, “Charles was putting me under quite a lot of pressure... but from there on in it was quite a straightforward race.”

Russell concluded that it was “probably one of my best weekends in F1 in terms of the overall performance," maximizing every moment on track.

Up Next

• Piastri praises Chinese GP victory as redemption after Australia
• Norris confronts late brake issue in China, holds off Russell for P2

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