Event: Chinese Grand Prix
Track: Shanghai International Circuit

Weather: 24°C Sunny & Dry
Tarmac: 36°C Dry
Humidity: 13.0%
Wind: 15.8 km//h

Hamilton Stuns Shanghai with Shock Sprint Pole for Ferrari

Shanghai, China – Lewis Hamilton rolled back the years and stunned the Formula 1 paddock by taking a sensational pole position for the Sprint race at the Shanghai International Circuit. The seven-time world champion, in just his second event for Ferrari, edged out Max Verstappen by a mere 0.018 seconds, setting up a mouth-watering showdown for Saturday’s Sprint.

Ferrari’s Surprise, McLaren’s Misstep

Heading into qualifying, all eyes were on Lando Norris, who had topped the sole practice session earlier in the day. However, when it mattered most, McLaren faltered, with Norris running wide on his final lap and only managing sixth place. His teammate Oscar Piastri fared better, securing third, with Charles Leclerc slotting into fourth.

McLaren opted for a two-lap push strategy on fresh softs, but Ferrari’s single-lap approach proved superior, with Hamilton extracting every ounce of performance from the SF-25. After a troubled season opener in Australia, Ferrari’s one-lap pace finally clicked, though Hamilton himself remained cautious about their race-day performance.

"I can't believe we are ahead of McLaren, who have been fast all season so far," Hamilton admitted. "It's not the main pole, but this gives me so much motivation heading into tomorrow."

Verstappen Close, but Not Quite

Max Verstappen, who looked strong throughout qualifying, came heartbreakingly close to denying Hamilton his first P1 start for Ferrari. Despite trailing in the first two sectors, the Dutchman delivered a scintillating final sector, snatching second place from Piastri by just 0.011s.

Red Bull’s race pace remains an unknown quantity this weekend, with Liam Lawson bowing out in SQ1 and Verstappen yet to show his true long-run performance. Nevertheless, a front-row start puts the reigning champion in prime position to challenge Hamilton into Turn 1.

Russell & Antonelli Impress for Mercedes

While Ferrari and Red Bull stole the headlines, Mercedes quietly impressed, with George Russell taking fifth and rookie Kimi Antonelli delivering a P7 finish in just his second F1 weekend.

The 19-year-old Italian endured a few shaky moments, sliding wide at Turns 1-2, but ultimately secured a place in the top ten, outpacing both Aston Martins and the Racing Bulls. Yuki Tsunoda and Alex Albon rounded out the top ten, while Fernando Alonso suffered a rare SQ2 exit after being out-qualified by his teammate Lance Stroll.

Eliminated Drivers: Sainz, Alonso & the Rookies

The biggest shock from SQ2 was the elimination of Carlos Sainz, who struggled with tyre preparation and found himself knocked out in 13th place.

His Williams teammate, Alex Albon, comfortably made SQ3, showing that the car had the pace to compete at the front of the midfield. Oliver Bearman (P12), Gabriel Bortoleto (P14), and Isack Hadjar (P15) all exited in SQ2, while Jack Doohan, Pierre Gasly, Esteban Ocon, Nico Hülkenberg, and Liam Lawson failed to progress beyond SQ1.

What to Expect in the Sprint Race

With Hamilton and Verstappen set to duel from the front row, the opening lap could be explosive. Piastri and Leclerc, lurking in third and fourth, will be ready to pounce should the leaders tangle, while Norris aims to recover after a frustrating qualifying session.

McLaren’s race pace advantage could still come into play, with both Norris and Piastri expected to challenge for the win if they can keep their tyres in the right window. Meanwhile, Russell and Antonelli will look to capitalise on Ferrari’s potential race-day struggles.

Will Hamilton convert pole into victory, or will Verstappen and McLaren strike back?

Sprint Quali Times 2025 Chinese GP

1:36.047 was the pole position lap time of last years sprint qualifying session. This lap time was driven by Lando Norris in the McLaren MCL38.

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