Sprint Qualifying report: Carlos Sainz P5, Charles Leclerc P7 at Shanghai circuit

Sprint Qualifying report: Carlos Sainz P5, Charles Leclerc P7 at Shanghai circuit | 2024 China GP. How Ferrari performed in Sprint Qualifying.

Summary of the qualifying shootouts for the Chinese GP, which saw Lando Norris secure pole position for tomorrow’s sprint race.

SQ1
After Lance Stroll set the fastest time in the first free practice session, it was Sergio Perez who finished firmly on top with medium tires in a session characterized by a huge improvement in track conditions lap after lap, and which also saw a few drops of rain fall. Norris placed second, managing to slot between the two Red Bulls, with Oscar Piastri splitting the two Ferraris in fifth position. The two Mercedes struggled once again, with Hamilton and Russell only in twelfth and thirteenth positions.

Eliminated were both Alpines and both Williams, along with Yuki Tsunoda, who was a major disappointment of the day. Local hero Guanyu Zhou, however, made it through. Similar to FP1, there were problems once again with grass catching fire at the trackside, which delayed the start of SQ2 by a few minutes.

SQ2
With only one chance available due to rain arriving towards the end, Max Verstappen reclaimed the top position in the second cut, finishing ahead of Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari and his teammate. The two McLarens placed fourth and fifth, while Sainz finished sixth.

A surprising Valtteri Bottas qualified for SQ3 with the seventh fastest time, while Alonso and Hamilton finished in eighth and ninth positions, respectively. The second Stake car also qualified, with Zhou as the last qualifier.

George Russell was dramatically eliminated, along with both Haas cars, Daniel Ricciardo, and Lance Stroll.

SQ3
The rain finally arrived in the last cut, with a crazy SQ3 that saw Lando Norris achieve his fastest time, despite initially having it cancelled for exceeding track limits. Thus, the McLaren driver will start from pole in tomorrow’s sprint.

Lewis Hamilton took the second position, while Fernando Alonso and Max Verstappen will open the second row.

The two Ferraris and Sergio Perez were disappointing, with Carlos Sainz starting fifth and Charles Leclerc seventh, the latter having a slight contact with the barriers in the first minutes. Oscar Piastri eighth, while the two Stake cars round out the top ten, with Bottas ahead of Zhou.