Chinese Grand Prix – Sprint Qualifying: Lewis Hamilton takes his first Ferrari pole, Max Verstappen P2

SQ1: A thunderous start, but the Ferraris let the advantage slip away

The qualifying session for the Sprint started with incredible intensity, and right from the first sectors, the Ferrari cars showed themselves to be ultra-competitive. But the surprise was Hamilton‘s time: 1m32.229s, he leads Leclerc and temporarily occupies first place. This start to the session put the drivers under pressure, notably Lando Norris, who made a big mistake at the hairpin. He nearly found himself out of the decisive positions, but with a solid last lap, he slipped into fourth place behind Oscar Piastri (1m31.723s).

The final minutes saw a great comeback from Verstappen. The last laps were mind-blowing: Norris managed to take the lead with a 1m31.396, and Oliver Bearman showed he still had resources with an excellent time that allowed him to secure the 10th place. Lawson, however, was eliminated after exceeding track limits.

It’s already the end for several drivers: Doohan, Gasly, Ocon, Hülkenberg, and Lawson must put away their helmets and return to the pits.

SQ2: An End of Session That Hurts!

Antonelli, off to a good start, led the way with a fine performance. But Norris put in a stunning lap, seizing first place with a time of 1m31.174s. Enough to worry Verstappen, who quickly responded to take the lead for a moment before Norris regained the advantage.

Russell, Tsunoda, Albon, and Alonso were all in the battle, but in the end, they were the ones who paid the price of the war of seconds. Russell had problems handling his tires, which slowed him down in the final moments. Tsunoda almost hindered Stroll, and Hadjar, unfortunately, lost a crucial lap after a big mistake in turn 1.

At the end of the session, Alonso, Bearman, Sainz, Bortoleto, and Hadjar are eliminated.

SQ3: Hamilton’s Masterstroke

The McLarens opened the ball. Piastri set a superb first sector, followed by Norris who was ultra-fast in sector 1. They were on track to smash it, and Piastri proved it with a 1m30.929s, setting the provisional fastest time! But Lewis Hamilton completed a 1m30.849s to take the Sprint pole position.

Verstappen almost snatched pole position from Hamilton with a 1m30.867s, but he couldn’t beat the Briton’s time. Piastri remained third, while Leclerc and Russell finished in the top 5. And what about Norris? After a frustrating final lap, he had to settle for 6th place.

Behind him, Antonelli, Tsunoda, Albon, and Stroll make up the rest of the top 10. A major disappointment for Norris who missed his last lap after locking his axle at the hairpin.