Lewis Hamilton won his first victory for Ferrari only during his second outing for the team with a dominant victory in the sprint race at the Chinese Grand Prix.
The seven times champion has pushed a challenge from Max Verstappen from Red Bull on the race at the first turn and checked the race from there.
Verstappen fell back from the Ferrari after a few laps in the claws of Oscar Piastri de McLaren, who exceeded the world champion with five laps to do.
Lando Norris of McLaren managed to save a point after a difficult race by passing Aston Martin de Lance Stroll with two laps to do.
Hamilton’s victory was a resounding recovery after a disappointing start of Ferrari during the opening race of the season in Australia last weekend, in which he qualified eighth and finished 10th.
He was congratulated on the slowdown after his victory for his engineer Riccardo Adami for a “masterclass in tire management” one day when all the other drivers had trouble making their rubber last.
Hamilton enjoyed the cheers of the packed stands after having released his car on the pit at the end.
“I woke up feeling well today,” he said. “The first race was difficult and I really think that many people have underestimated the steep climb, it is to enter a new team, with communication and understanding and a lot.
“The number of people I heard to yapping perhaps because they did not do it and have no experience.
“I came here and the engineers and the mechanics did an excellent job to refine the car and it was great today. There is so much grip on this new tarmac but I think everyone had trouble.”
Verstappen appeared as if he could challenge Hamilton in the first stadiums, but the 40 -year -old began to move away after about eight laps while the Dutchman went up in Piastri claws.
The Australian waited for his time for a few laps, approaching the back of the Red Bull, before removing a clinical pass in turn 14 on the turn 14.
Piastri said: “It was a really productive sprint. To finish second is always an excellent result and I learned a lot. As much as the result, the way I got the result was the encouraging thing.
“We have not completely had the pace for Lewis at the front, but we have some ideas and see if we can get better.”
Verstappen said: “I tried to try it, but unfortunately, the last eight laps, we just didn’t have the pace of the others, so I just made it survive it there, so I definitely take the P3. It was difficult to manage the tires.
“In general, we lack a little global rhythm, so you have to push a little louder and it kills you more.”
Norris, winner in Melbourne, returned from the sixth on the ninth grid in the first round with an error in the Six Tour, flowing largely after having apparently mistreated his braking behind Russell and lost three places.
Norris spent most of the race to complain that he had no grip of his front tires and could not go faster, but that he jumped while Pro Stoll was in trouble in the closing stadiums.
The result means that the advance of the Norris championship was reduced to two points by Verstappen.
Norris said: “I became a little hot (in six years). On me. I fought after that. I had no pace. I fight a lot in these conditions, with the Grainage before. This is my worst nightmare.”
Behind Verstappen, George Russell of Mercedes exceeded Charles Leclerc de Ferrari for fourth place with a dive into the interior of the hair pin at the end of the long straight back in the first round.
Leclerc returned to Russell in the last stages, but the Briton was able to hold it.
Yuki Tsunoda took an excellent sixth for racing bulls, pushing the Mercedes of Andrea Kimi Antonelli for the whole race.
