Max Verstappen completed a super Shanghai Saturday for him to claim Red Bull’s landmark 100th F1 pole position as Lewis Hamilton suffered a shock early exit and qualified 18th for Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix.
Hours after Verstappen and Hamilton finished first and second respectively in an entertaining first Sprint race of the season, the pair’s days went in opposite directions around the challenging Shanghai International Circuit in the qualifying session to set the grid for Sunday’s main Grand Prix on Sunday, live at 8am on Sky Sports F1.
While Verstappen dominated dry qualifying for the Grand Prix to extend his run of poles to five at the start of the 2024 season, and career-best sequence of six overall, Hamilton dropped out in Q1 after a mistake at the hairpin on his final attempt and will start on the grid’s penultimate row.
“That is seriously painful. In 18th position is Lewis,” said Sky Sports F1’s Nico Rosberg, Hamilton’s former team-mate.
“He had a great lap until then. It was really unnecessary to push the limit and as a seven-time world champion that is a mistake which should be unavoidable.
“It’s three metres too late and he had the brake balance too far forward. He lost at least four tenths which easily would have put him in Q2. That’s a disaster.”
Fernando Alonso was the driver to challenge the Red Bulls and threatened to split Verstappen and team-mate Sergio Perez on the grid before the latter ultimately pipped the Aston Martin to the second front-row berth by 0.166s on his final lap.
With Alonso shuffled back to a still-impressive third, McLaren’s Lando Norris – who took pole on Friday for the Sprint in wet conditions – was fourth ahead of team-mate Oscar Piastri.
Ferrari’s disappointing weekend continued, however, with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz only sixth and seventh respectively.
It could have been worse for Sainz, though, after he crashed at the final corner early in Q2 before being able to drag his car, minus its nosecone, back to the pits for repairs under the red flag that followed the accident.
Carlos Sainz spins out of control from the gravel, sliding into the barrier to bring up a red flag during the Qualifying session at the Chinese Grand Prix.
After Hamilton’s shock early exit, George Russell progressed to Q3 in the sister Mercedes but could only qualify eighth – 0.773s away from the dominant Verstappen.
Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg and Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas impressed behind to take ninth and 10th places respectively, the latter’s appearing in Q3 for the first time this time on an improved weekend for Sauber.
The best of the action from a dramatic Sprint at the Chinese Grand Prix.
More to follow…
Sunday April 21
7am: Grand Prix Sunday: Chinese GP build-up*
8am: The CHINESE GRAND PRIX*
10am: Chequered Flag: Chinese GP reaction*
11am: Ted’s Notebook*
*also live on Sky Sports Main Event
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