Lewis Hamilton has secured his first pole position for Ferrari in the Chinese Grand Prix Sprint at the 5.451-kilometre Shanghai International Circuit, delivering a standout performance in Shanghai. The seven-time world champion edged out Max Verstappen, who will start alongside him on the front row, while McLaren faltered despite showing strong pace earlier in the session.
McLaren appeared to have the fastest car for much of Sprint Qualifying, but when it truly mattered in SQ3, they lacked the final punch. Hamilton capitalized, storming to pole in dramatic fashion. Verstappen managed to outpace the best-placed McLaren, Oscar Piastri, as the top three were separated by less than a tenth of a second.
As Sprint Qualifying got underway, Mercedes was first to hit the track, with Kimi Antonelli leading George Russell as both drivers completed a build lap before pushing for a flying lap. Jack Doohan was also among the early runners, back on track after missing the final moments of Free Practice 1 due to a power unit issue. With a fresh Renault engine installed, he initially clocked a 1:33.129s, trailing Alpine teammate Pierre Gasly by two-tenths.
Midfield teams set early benchmarks before Verstappen emerged as the first front-runner to post a lap, recording a 1:32.329s to take provisional pole. However, the Red Bull driver was swiftly relegated to third as Charles Leclerc and Hamilton delivered stronger laps for Ferrari, with all three drivers separated by just a tenth.
McLaren’s Piastri then stunned the field with a blistering 1:31.723s, going half a second faster than Hamilton. Fernando Alonso inserted himself into the battle, slotting into second place with an impressive lap, showcasing the pace that saw him set the fastest lap in last year’s Chinese Grand Prix.
Liam Lawson’s initial lap was a solid confidence-builder, coming within four-tenths of Verstappen’s time, placing him seventh initially. However, he found himself in 14th before the final runs of SQ1, teetering on the edge of elimination.
As the segment concluded, Yuki Tsunoda, Carlos Sainz, Oliver Bearman, Gabriel Bortoleto, and Esteban Ocon occupied the bottom five. Doohan, on the bubble, managed to improve to eighth with less than 90 seconds to go. However, he was ultimately eliminated alongside Lawson, Gasly, Ocon, and Nico Hülkenberg. Lawson, who ended up 20th, abandoned his final attempt after a dramatic slide at Turn 8, while Doohan was impeded by traffic, according to Alpine.
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SQ2 began with Lando Norris immediately setting the pace with a 1:31.174s, a lap four-tenths quicker than Verstappen’s. Piastri followed closely, just under two-tenths behind his teammate with a 1:31.362s.
Meanwhile, Mercedes struggled. Both Russell and Antonelli followed their usual pattern of build laps before attacking, but Russell complained of struggling to generate tire temperature. His 1:32.131s left him nearly a second off the pace.
Several drivers, including Yuki Tsunoda, opted for a single flying lap. Tsunoda benefitted from a well-timed slipstream from his Racing Bulls teammate Isack Hadjar to vault into fourth just before the chequered flag.
McLaren was comfortable enough to remain in the garage as Mercedes scrambled to avoid elimination. Antonelli just made it through with the fourth-fastest time, while Russell’s late improvement to second knocked Alonso out of contention. Joining Alonso on the sidelines were Bearman, Sainz, Bortoleto, and Hadjar.
In SQ3, Oscar Piastri set the early benchmark, clocking a 1:30.929s—comfortably quicker than Norris, who struggled with a slide onto the back straight, costing him valuable time.
With under three minutes remaining, other teams began their final runs. Hamilton immediately showed strong pace, topping the first sector and carrying that speed through the middle part of the lap. His lap secured provisional pole, 0.08s ahead of Oscar Piastri, with just over a minute remaining.
The Australian was unable to improve on his second attempt, while Norris abandoned his lap. This left Verstappen as the last real challenger. The Dutchman came agonizingly close but ultimately slotted into second, just 0.018s behind Hamilton, securing a front-row start alongside the Ferrari driver.
With Oscar Piastri third and Charles Leclerc fourth in the other Ferrari SF-25 car, George Russell secured fifth, while Norris had to settle for sixth. The stage is now set for an intense Sprint race, with Hamilton leading the field for Ferrari in what promises to be a thrilling showdown in Shanghai.
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| Position | Driver | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:30.849 | |
| 2 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1:30.867 | |
| 3 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:30.929 | |
| 4 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:31.057 | |
| 5 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:31.169 | |
| 6 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:31.393 | |
| 7 | Andrea Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:31.738 | |
| 8 | Yuki Tsunoda | Racing Bulls | 1:31.773 | |
| 9 | Alex Albon | Williams | 1:31.852 | |
| 10 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:31.982 | |
| 11 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | ||
| 12 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | ||
| 13 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | ||
| 14 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Sauber | ||
| 15 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | ||
| 16 | Jack Doohan | Alpine | ||
| 17 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | ||
| 18 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | ||
| 19 | Nico Hulkenberg | Sauber | ||
| 20 | Liam Lawson | Red Bull |
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