Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen will share the front row for the Chinese Grand Prix Sprint on Saturday. Hamilton beat his old rival by less than two-hundredths of a second in Friday’s qualifying session.
It’s the first time the two drivers will start first and second since the 2023 Hungarian GP, Hamilton’s last official pole in F1. McLaren were expected to lock out the front row but Oscar Piastri was only third, with Lando Norris sixth.
Hamilton and Verstappen agreed on a major F1 rule change before the race, and their rivalry generally seems to have cooled from its bitter 2021 heights. But fans will nonetheless be relishing the prospect of a duel into turn one in the Sprint.
Last season, the seven-time world champion qualified second for the Shanghai Sprint and wrestled the lead away from Lando Norris the first corner. He then lost out to a charging Verstappen, who had qualified fourth.
Helmut Marko congratulates Lewis Hamilton on Chinese Grand Prix Sprint pole
Speaking to Motorsport Netherlands in the Chinese Grand Prix paddock, Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko saluted Hamilton’s efforts. He suspected Ferrari would improve after what he called an ‘unlucky’ Melbourne weekend.
The Scuderia picked up just five points in Australia, but they immediately looked quick here with Charles Leclerc second and Hamilton fourth in FP1. Marko is particularly impressed that Hamilton outqualifed his ‘fantastic’ teammate in just his second race.
“In Melbourne they were a bit unlucky, but here Ferrari has been strong from the first session,” he said. “My congratulations to Hamilton, to be on pole position in his second race… And also against Leclerc, who is fantastic in qualifying. It’s an incredible achievement.”
| INSIDE | OUTSIDE |
| Lewis Hamilton | |
| Max Verstappen | |
| Oscar Piastri | |
| Charles Leclerc | |
| George Russell | |
| Lando Norris | |
| Kimi Antonelli | |
| Yuki Tsunoda | |
| Alex Albon | |
| Lance Stroll |
Turning to his own team, Marko said that Verstappen had exceeded expectations. He feared that they’d end up on the fourth row after the world champion struggled in FP1.
He conjured up a ‘mega lap’ to make the most of Red Bull’s balance changes. Meanwhile, Martin Brundle felt sorry for Liam Lawson as the new signing qualified last.
“It went much better than expected, yes. We were worried that we wouldn’t even make the first two rows. Based on the practice, we weren’t in the top six.
“After that they changed several things on the car and those things seem to work. Then there was a mega lap from Max.”
Lewis Hamilton gets a new nickname from Damon Hill after Ferrari milestone
Hamilton beat Sebastian Vettel’s lap record by setting a 1:30.849. The drivers have benefitted from a complete resurfacing of the track in the lead-up to the race.
The 40-year-old produced the worst qualifying showing of his career in 2024, losing 19-5 to George Russell in the Mercedes head-to-head. Thus it’s particularly encouraging that he’s able to outpace Leclerc already.
The Monegasque will look to respond in the main qualifying session on Saturday. The teams will have a chance to revise their set-ups after the Sprint.
Damon Hill shared a new nickname for Hamilton after Friday’s session – Ferramilton. He’s confident of an ‘epic’ weekend after Ferrari and Red Bull struck back in their battle with McLaren.
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