Lewis Hamilton claimed a stunning pole for Saturday’s Sprint at the Chinese Grand Prix in just his second race weekend with Ferrari.
Bouncing back in sensational style from a difficult debut with the team in Melbourne last weekend, when he finished 10th, Hamilton was in the mix at the front throughout Sprint Qualifying at a venue where he has won the grand prix a record six times.
McLaren were still favourites to head the grid, but Hamilton had other ideas as – not only did the seven-time champion outperform new team-mate Charles Leclerc for the first time – he had more pace than all his main rivals too to claim a first pole position in motorsport’s iconic red at just the second attempt.
McLaren could only finish third with Oscar Piastri and sixth, after a mistake, with early title-leader Lando Norris.
Max Verstappen will share the Sprint front row with old rival Hamilton after another strong showing in his Red Bull, with Leclerc fourth after lapping 0.2s slower than the quicker Ferrari.
“I didn’t expect that result but so, so happy and so proud,” said a surprised but delighted Hamilton.
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“Clearly the last race was a disaster for us but we knew there was more pace in the car.
“I’m a bit shocked. I can’t believe we got a pole in the Sprint!”
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But while Verstappen was second, Liam Lawson’s troubled start to life at Red Bull’s senior team got worse as he lapped slowest of all in SQ1.
The New Zealander was just above the cut line ahead of the final runs but a costly mistake at Turn Nine saw him run wide and condemn him to a back-of-the-grid start for the Sprint.
George Russell was fifth in the lead Mercedes and will share the third row for Saturday morning’s 3am Sprint start with Norris. Kimi Antonelli was seventh in the second Silver Arrow in a much-improved single-lap showing from the Italian compared to his Melbourne debut, where he dropped out in Q1 before staging a fine recovery drive to fourth in the race.
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More to follow…
Sky Sports F1’s live Chinese GP schedule
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Saturday March 22
- 2.25am: Chinese GP Sprint build-up*
- 3am: Chinese GP Sprint*
- 5.45am: F1 Academy Race 1*
- 6.35am: Chinese GP Qualifying build-up*
- 7am: CHINESE GP QUALIFYING*
- 9am: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook*
Sunday March 23
- 2.40am: F1 Academy Race 2
- 5.30am: Chinese GP build-up: Grand Prix Sunday*
- 7am: THE CHINESE GRAND PRIX*
- 9am: Chinese GP reaction: Chequered flag*
- 10am: Ted’s Notebook*
*Also on Sky Sports Main Event
Formula 1 is in Shanghai this week for the first Sprint weekend of the season at the Chinese GP, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – No contract, cancel anytime
