Lewis Hamilton delivered a stunning performance, securing pole position for the sprint race at the Chinese Grand Prix.
The seven-time Formula 1 world champion expressed his disbelief, stating he was “gobsmacked” by the speed of his Ferrari, a stark contrast to his struggles in the previous Australian Grand Prix.
Hamilton’s pole position came at the expense of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who will start second.
Hamilton out-qualified his Ferrari teammate, Charles Leclerc, by 0.208 seconds, with Leclerc placing fourth. McLaren’s Lando Norris qualified sixth, trailing Hamilton by 0.544 seconds.
“I’m a bit taken aback by it,” Hamilton said. “I didn’t know when we would get to this position and, after last weekend, it was a difficult start to the week. I came here with aggression and wanting to go into the weekend and get the car into a great place.”
The result marks a significant turnaround for Hamilton, who finished ninth in his Ferrari debut in Australia. This pole position grants him a crucial starting advantage for the sprint race, scheduled for Saturday at 03:00 GMT. (6 AM EAT)
Leclerc, meanwhile, acknowledged his struggles during qualifying. “I struggled on my side of the garage. From the beginning I felt I was a step back from Lewis and he was just faster,” he said.
Behind Verstappen and Leclerc, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri secured third place, followed by George Russell in the other Mercedes.
Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur attributed the fluctuating results to the intense competition among the top teams and the delicate balance required to optimize tire performance.
“The day was a bit difficult to read. McLaren was in front this morning and in Q1 we were in front, Q2 they were mega, Q3 we were back,” Vasseur explained. “I think it is linked to tyre management. If you are not in the right window, you are struggling a lot.”
Vasseur also noted the close competition between the top four teams, highlighting the unpredictability of race outcomes based on track conditions and tire management.
“It is exactly the same picture as last year – the last four races, three or four teams were able to win by 30 seconds from track to track depending on the tyres,” he stated.
The sprint race will be followed by the main grand prix qualifying at 07:00 GMT (10 AM EAT) on Saturday, where teams will be able to adjust their car setups.
