Piastri controlled Sunday’s 56-lap encounter at the Shanghai International Circuit from start to finish, never putting a foot wrong in a much calmer second race of the campaign that centred around whether drivers would complete one or two pit stops.

As it transpired, the first five finishers – and the vast majority of the field – only visited the pits once, with Piastri building and managing a gap back to Norris across their two stints to take the chequered flag and kick off his challenge for the title.

Norris hovered around three seconds behind Piastri in the closing stages, when he encountered a developing brake problem and was told to take no risks by the McLaren pit wall – just about ensuring the papaya outfit emerged with that perfect finish.

After dropping behind at the start, Russell did his best to make life difficult for Norris as the afternoon wore on, briefly reclaiming second during the pit stop phase, but the McLaren man had enough pace in hand to take P2, even with his late brake dramas.