Lewis Hamilton claimed a stunning pole for Saturday Spring in the Chinese Grand Prix only on his second weekend of the race with Ferrari.
Jumping back in the sensational style from a difficult debut with the team in Melbourne last weekend, when he finished 10th, Hamilton was in the front of Sprint in a place where he won the Grand Prix a six -time record.
McLaren was still preferred to lead Grid, but Hamilton had other ideas as – not only the seven -time champion exceeded the new teammate Charles Leclerc for the first time – he had more pace than all his main rivals also looking for a first pole position in Motorik’s iconic red in the second effort.
McLaren could only end the third with Oscar Piastri and the sixth, after a mistake, with the leader of the early title Lando Norris.
Max Verstappen will share the front line of Sprint with the old rival Hamilton after another strong show in his Red Bulli, with the fourth Leclerc after rejecting 0.2s slower than the fastest Ferrari.
When he transmitted the news from Riccardo Adam’s engineer that he had qualified in the pole, a scared Hamilton clearly replied, “Really? Hahaha! Mega work. Woo!”
He then added after leaving the car: “I didn’t expect that result, but so, so happy and so proud.
“It is clear that the last race was a disaster for us, but we knew there was more rhythm in the car.
“I’m a little shocked. I can’t believe we have a pole in sprint!”
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Charles Leclerc was confused after being told to accept position in Hamilton on their lap at the end of SQ2
But while Verstappen was second, Liam Lawson’s troubled start in the old Red Bull team worsened as he blocked everyone in SQ1.
The new Zealander was slightly over the cut line before the final runs, but a costly mistake on the ninth side saw him running wide and condemned him at a start of the sprint network.
George Russell was the fifth in the direction of Mercedes and will share the third row with Norris for the start of Saturday morning sprint at 3am. Kimi Antonelli was seventh in his second silver arrow in a single Italian -improved lap compared to his debut in Melbourne, where he left in Q1 before staging an excellent recovery machine to finish the fourth in the race.
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Liam Lawson apologizes to his team after falling from SQ1 and qualified the ‘last plum’ for Sprint in the Chinese Grand Prix
More to follow …
Sky Sports F1 Chinese GP Program Live
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While the Chinese Grand Prix waits first out of six sprints this season, Simon Lazenby explains why this format is so essential
Saturday March 22
- 2.25AM: Chinese construction GP Sprint **
- 3 morning: Chinese Sprint GP*
- 5.45AM: F1 Academy Race 1*
- 6.35AM: Chinese GP Construction Qualification **
- 7 Morning: Qualification of Chinese GP*
- 9 Morning: TED Qualifying Notebook*
Sunday March 23
- 2.40: 00: F1 Academy Race 2
- 5.30 morning: Chinese GP Construction: Grand Prix Sunday*
- 7 morning: Chinese Grand Prix*
- 9:00: Chinese GP reaction: Controlled flag*
- 10:00: TED Notebook*
*Also in the main event of Sky Sports
Formula 1 is in Shanghai this week for the first weekend of the season sprint in Chinese GP, Live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with now – without contract, cancel at any time
