Lewis Hamilton took pole position for tomorrow’s sprint race at the Chinese Grand Prix as the McLarens pace evaporated.
With just one practice session under their belts, the drivers prepared for the first sprint qualifying and race of 2025 at the Chinese Grand Prix. The hot conditions added a new element for drivers and teams to contend with.
The Shanghai International Circuit provides ample overtaking opportunities, with the one kilometre back straight testing the FIA technical directive clamping down on flexible rear wings.
After McLaren looked strong in practice once again, the race was on to catch the papaya cars. Ferrari and Red Bull looked evenly matched, with the chasing pack all vying for a strong result.
Lower down the order, Liam Lawson continued to struggle, while Jack Doohan’s power steering failure resulted in a red flag. Could the rookies bounce back in sprint qualifying?
SQ1
A queue formed at the end of the pit lane ahead of the start of the session. At the green light cars slowly made their way onto the circuit, Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes leading the way from team-mate George Russell.
The two Mercedes ran line-astern, but opted to complete a warm-up lap, but it was Gabriel Bortoleto who set the first lap of the day.
Max Verstappen immediately put almost a second between him and the gaggle of midfield cars setting their first lap times. Lewis Hamilton immediately usurped him, with team-mate Charles Leclerc slotting in just behind his team-mate.
The McLarens then showed their hand. Oscar Piastri moved half a second clear at the top. A poor exit at the hairpin compromised Lando Norris, but he still moved into third.
With less than five minutes to go in Q1, focus shifted to the elimination zone. Yuki Tsunoda, Carlos Sainz, Oliver Bearman, Bortoleto and Esteban Ocon had just one chance to progress into SQ2.
The midfield’s final laps were frenetic. Sainz moved into P9, immediatley replaced by Tsunoda, Bortoleto and Bearman also moved clear of the drop zone.
As the session ended, Liam Lawson’s lap time was deleted, as did fellow rookie Jack Doohan. Alpine team-mate Pierre Gasly was also eliminated, alongside the Haas of Esteban Ocon and the Sauber of Nico Hulkenberg.
Eliminated: Doohan, Gasly, Ocon, Hulkenberg, Lawson.
SQ2
Mercedes once again led the charge out of the pits for the start of SQ2, again opting for a second preparation lap.
Verstappen once again moved to the top of the timesheets after his first run. Norris immediately replaced him, moving to within a tenth of a second of the circuit lap record.
Getting the tyres in the correct operating window continued to be hazardous, as Leclerc discovered on his first flying lap. Forced to abandon it, he now now had one opportunity left to progress to SQ3.
Piastri posted his response to team-mate Norris, moving within two tenths of Norris’s lead time. Leclerc managed P5 on his second lap.
Alonso found himself in the elimination zone, as did both Williams, Bearman and Stroll. Hadjar’s first attempt was abandoned due to a poor first corner. Team-mate Tsunoda set personal best sector times, helped by a tow from Hadjar. He moved into P4.
Ferrari communication once again became a talking point, as Leclerc received instructions for the cars to swap positions for slipstreaming.
Stroll moved up to fourth, the second Aston Martin into seventh. Both Mercedes cars were in the bottom five, but only for a few seconds, as they surged into the top ten. Hadjar pitted after his failed lap, with Carlos Sainz complaining of wind problems.
Eliminated: Alonso, Bearman, Sainz, Bortoleto, Hadjar
SQ3
The final session of sprint qualifying began with a mad dash out onto the circuit. With soft compound tyres on, the battle was on to see who could master the wind.
The two McLarens were closely matched on their first flying lap, with Piastri setting a searing first lap to move six tenths clear of his team-mate after their first run.
Russell moved into second place, while Antonelli’s efforts saw him slowest of the front runners. The Ferrari’s were next up to show their hand, timing their run to perfection as track evolution became a factor.
Hamilton moved into provisional pole position, while Leclerc moved into third. Norris pitted, resigning himself to a mid top ten start.
Verstappen’s one and only effort moved into second place, as Ferrari celebrated Hamilton’s pole position. Antonelli, Tsunoda, Albon and Stroll rounded off the top ten.
Top 10: Hamilton, Verstappen, Piastri, Leclerc, Russell, Norris, Antonelli, Tsunoda, Albon, Stroll
Feature Image Credit: Red Bull Content Pool/Clive Mason/Getty Images
