Jacques Villeneuve calls for rules change after Oscar Piastri dudded by rival's error

Former F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve has called for a review into the rules after Oscar Piastri was forced to give a place back late in the Chinese Grand Prix sprint race.

On the restart from a safety car, the Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli ran wide at the final corner, and Piastri swept through on the inside.

Crucially, the Aussie was well in front by the time the cars crossed the start line to officially restart the race.

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Rules forbid overtaking on the restarts until the cars cross the start line, unless the car in front runs off the track. Antonelli managed to just barely keep two wheels on the correct side of the line.

Antonelli was straight on the team radio alerting them to the fact Piastri had illegally passed him, and McLaren shortly after instructed Piastri to give the position back.

They eventually crossed the line in fifth and sixth place.

Speaking on Sky Sports F1, the 1997 World Champion Villeneuve suggested Piastri's move should have been allowed to stand.

"Antonelli went off the track, so at that point, you've given up the right to stay ahead," he said.

"He was more than five car lengths behind the car ahead. You're supposed to stay within five car lengths, and he wasn't any more.

"So what should Piastri have done? Hit the brakes and create mayhem behind? Something has to be looked into there."

The sprint was comfortably won by Antonelli's teammate George Russell, who backed up his form in Melbourne to claim his second victory of the year.

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The Ferrari pair of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were second and third, ahead of Norris, Antonelli and Piastri. Liam Lawson and Oliver Bearman rounded out the points finishers

"We need to find more lap time - we just didn't have the pace to match Ferrari and Mercedes," Piastri said after the race.

"But we are a lot quicker than anyone else."

Off the start, Hamilton got a brilliant getaway from fourth on the grid to challenge for the lead.

As teammate Leclerc did in Melbourne, Hamilton and Russell went back and forth for the lead several times in the first 10 laps or so before Hamilton's front-left tyre began to wear.

Having watched the action unfold from third, Leclerc then challenged his teammate for second and the pair went side-by-side through turn three.

Hamilton got the elbows out and forced his teammate wide, prompting anger from the Monogasque.

"Ugh! The space! Does he know how wide these cars are or not?," he fumed over team radio.

Leclerc eventually won out, but a safety car to collect the stricken Audi of Nico Hulkenberg threw a spanner in the works.

It triggered a flurry of pitstops as drivers dived into the pits for a set of soft tyres.

Russell expertly handled the restart and final three laps, although he didn't have it all his own way. Leclerc went with him the whole way, and crossed the line less than a second behind.

F1 Chinese Grand Prix sprint race full results