Russell claimed pole position for the Sprint race at the Chinese GP. The front row was completed by his teammate Antonelli, who was quite a distance behind the Englishman at the Shanghai track. Following them was Norris, with a McLaren clearly improved compared to Australia. Ferrari finished fourth in Sprint Qualifying with Hamilton, while Leclerc ended up seventh. But what lies behind these final qualifying results?
Chinese GP: Software remains a limiting factor in Ferrari’s qualifying
While Hamilton can consider himself satisfied with his qualifying, finishing just 0.641 seconds behind the Mercedes driver, the same cannot be said for Leclerc. The Monegasque finished 0.367 seconds behind his teammate, a gap not solely attributable to driving. On the long straight from turns 13 to 14, Leclerc ran at a significantly lower speed than Hamilton, just over 10 km/h slower.
This points back to the power deployment issues seen in Australia across several teams. Here, the problem lies in the software optimization, which manages energy deployment maps throughout the lap. The system, using an algorithm, collects lap-by-lap data and adapts it on the following lap.
It is likely not a true malfunction, but rather a system that is still raw and requires significant optimization to handle continuous variations, entering “protection” mode to avoid larger problems—explaining the limited power delivery.
Mercedes, on the other hand, stood out thanks to an extremely aggressive deployment mode, dubbed “party mode.” This was evident again in Q3 because it coincides with the use of the highest power mode, apparently not well managed by many teams. Similar problems were observed during push laps in the only free practice session. Ferrari brought a software update to China, but further feedback will only emerge as the weekend progresses.
The morning session was certainly inconsistent for Ferrari drivers. The car suffered chronic understeer in the flowing sections, where the gap to the leaders was largest. In the complex turn 1-2 section, a balanced car is essential to respond correctly to steering inputs. Likewise, in the medium-slow section of turns 8-9-10, further difficulties emerged.
Driver requests during the session were illustrative, often asking for increased front wing angle. Towards the end of the session, Leclerc experienced extreme oversteer, causing his lap to be canceled due to instability in the final corner. For Sprint Qualifying, the situation appeared to improve, with the car leaning slightly towards oversteer.
Graphs, analyzed cautiously due to limited accuracy, show the SF-26 was particularly fast in turn 8, the combined braking of turn 9, and the slow section of turns 11-12. Hamilton confirmed the sensation, posting strong pace and stating: “My team did a fantastic job, especially my engineers who completely adjusted the car, because free practice was complicated. We need to improve on power, but the car feels great and we can compete with Mercedes in the corners.”
Comparing the teammates, slight differences in energy deployment strategies appear, with Leclerc using more power into turn 6. Notably, both drivers spend significant time on the accelerator between turns 8-9 and 11-12, similar to Russell in this aspect.
Leclerc’s SQ2 lap was particularly competitive. Unfortunately, he couldn’t match it with the C4 tire, due to the power delivery issues. He seems very close to Hamilton in Shanghai, narrowing a gap that had emerged last season.
Chinese GP: McLaren improves, Mercedes super-efficient on the long straight
McLaren appears to have corrected several parameters after struggling in Melbourne with a tricky car. Despite the much-discussed weight issue, which affects slow-speed, acceleration, and braking performance, the MCL40 was the fastest in the first sector, characterized by the slow turn 1-2-3 section, where Leclerc (the fastest in the first sector compared to Hamilton) lost 0.192 seconds to Piastri. In the second sector, Hamilton lost 0.125 seconds to Russell, while the third sector widened the performance gap to 0.368 seconds.
Andrea Stella, after qualifying, noted clear improvements in both power unit and chassis: “There are signs of improvement, especially in how we use the PU. Free practice was more consistent, and we have better clarity on deploying power in qualifying.” McLaren, as confirmed by Wolff at the end of the day, opted for shorter gearbox ratios than the factory standard, which likely still require optimization. Software updates will be numerous this season, as they are a major performance factor.
Telemetry this weekend appears unreliable, with sudden parameter changes observed frequently. Overall, Hamilton focused on energy recovery in the first part of the lap, reaching turn 6 and the fast turn 7 with a speed gap to Russell. Approaching turn 11, Lewis achieved top speed compared to George Russell (who harvested aggressively with subsequent clipping) and Norris, while on the long straight to turn 14, Mercedes’ advantage became clear, likely due to clipping differences, even against McLaren (Norris in line with Hamilton), before making the difference in the slow 11-12 section.
Norris finished “midway” between Russell and Hamilton: in the first and second sectors, his peak speeds were very close to Russell’s, then slightly higher into turn 11, though still below Hamilton.
On lift-and-coast, Mercedes continues to lead. Confirmations came regarding their recharge efficiency, as Russell at turn 14 did not need to coast. Hamilton coasted more even at the same braking points than Norris, who maximized lift-and-coast at turns 6 and 9. A similar situation was observed at turn 1. Mercedes remains the most effective car in thermal power, recharge efficiency, and aggressive deployment, providing a clear advantage.
The single free practice session certainly did not help engineers and drivers find the optimal deployment strategy, although Ferrari seemed fairly satisfied in the morning. A deeper analysis will require more reliable data.
Looking ahead to the Sprint, graining observed in short FP1 race simulations emphasizes tire temperature management. Red Bull will also need monitoring, as the RB22 struggles with grip. Energy management during the Sprint start will be critical, though Russell noted Mercedes has prepared intensively. Finally, it is worth noting Hamilton’s use of the K2 mode during a start practice, likely the session dedicated to starts.
