Hamilton charges to pole over Verstappen and Piastri during Sprint Qualifying in China
Red Bull Racing/Red Bull Content Pool
Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton delivered a stunning performance to secure pole position during Sprint Qualifying at the Chinese Grand Prix. Hamilton narrowly beat Red Bull's Max Verstappen and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri with a time of 1:30.849s during the SQ3 phase. This lap was a new record at the Shanghai International Circuit. Hamilton, initially incredulous, responded with several laughs to the news.
George Russell led the Mercedes charge in fifth, taking advantage of Lando Norris’s mistakes. Norris looked fast initially but ended up faltering in SQ3. Kimi Antonelli followed, sitting half a second behind teammate Russell. Yuki Tsunoda (Racing Bulls), Alex Albon (Williams), and Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) completed the top 10.
Fernando Alonso narrowly missed SQ3 in his Aston Martin, while Ollie Bearman recovered from a tough debut in Australia to place his Haas in 12th. Red Bull newcomer Liam Lawson struggled, finishing 20th after his final lap was deleted due to track limits. Alpine had a challenging session, with both cars out in SQ1.
SQ1 – Hamilton Fastest, Lawson Drops Out
Oscar Piastri set the initial pace with 1:31.712s, but Hamilton ultimately topped SQ1 with a 1:31.212s. Drivers like Bearman, Tsunoda, and Sainz managed to escape the danger zone with improved laps. Lawson ended at the bottom after track limits issues, apologizing over the radio for the team’s struggles.
Knocked Out: Doohan, Gasly, Ocon, Hulkenberg, Lawson
SQ2 – Norris Takes Over at the Top
Norris led SQ2 with 1:31.174s. The Ferraris were slightly behind, in P5 and P6. Albon was the only driver to escape the drop zone, finishing seventh, while Alonso, Bearman, Sainz, Bortoleto, and Hadjar were eliminated.
Knocked Out: Alonso, Bearman, Sainz, Bortoleto, Hadjar
SQ3 – Hamilton Springs a Shanghai Surprise
Hamilton claimed provisional pole with 1:30.849s, ultimately holding it despite Verstappen’s challenge. Piastri ended third, Leclerc fourth, and Russell fifth. Norris, despite another mistake, placed sixth. The top 10 were rounded out by Antonelli, Tsunoda, Albon, and Stroll.
Hamilton's pole position sets up an exciting grid for the upcoming Sprint race, promising intense battles among the top drivers.
Up Next
