In a thrilling display of precision and speed, Lewis Hamilton delivered a statement performance at the Shanghai International Circuit, securing pole position for the Sprint race at the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix. The seven-time world champion, in just his second race weekend with Ferrari, edged out Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by a razor-thin margin of 0.018 seconds, setting the stage for an electrifying Saturday showdown.
The Sprint Qualifying session, the first of the 2025 season, unfolded under sunny skies and ideal track conditions, with the newly resurfaced Shanghai circuit providing a fresh challenge for the 20 drivers. As per Sprint regulations, the opening SQ1 phase mandated the use of medium tires, and it was Hamilton who set the early pace with a blistering 1m 31.212s lap, narrowly ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris and Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who had topped the sole Free Practice session earlier in the day, slipped to fourth after a strong initial effort was eclipsed by Hamilton’s late surge.
The session wasn’t without drama. Red Bull rookie Liam Lawson endured a torrid start to his weekend, finishing dead last in 20th after a lap time was deleted for exceeding track limits. The New Zealander’s struggles contrasted sharply with the fortunes of his teammate Verstappen, who remained a formidable presence throughout. Meanwhile, Alpine faced a bruising SQ1, with Jack Doohan and Pierre Gasly knocked out in 16th and 17th, respectively, and Esteban Ocon languishing in 18th—symptomatic of the team’s ongoing technical woes following a disrupted practice session.
As the field narrowed to 15 drivers in SQ2, Norris briefly reclaimed the spotlight with a 1m 31.174s, fending off Piastri and Verstappen. Hamilton and Leclerc held steady in the top six, while Mercedes’ George Russell and rookie Kimi Antonelli showed promising pace. The midfield battle was fierce, with Racing Bulls’ Yuki Tsunoda and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll scraping into the top 10, leaving the likes of Fernando Alonso and Williams’ Carlos Sainz on the outside looking in.
The decisive SQ3 shootout lived up to its billing as a nail-biter. Hamilton unleashed a lap record of 1m 30.849s, a time that left him stunned and laughing over the radio as engineer Riccardo Adami confirmed his pole. “Really?” Hamilton chuckled, his disbelief mirroring the surprise of many onlookers after a challenging debut with Ferrari in Australia. Verstappen, ever the relentless competitor, fell agonizingly short despite a late push, settling for second. Piastri rounded out the top three, just a tenth off Hamilton’s pace, while Leclerc secured fourth to give Ferrari a strong starting position.
Russell continued Mercedes’ solid form in fifth, capitalizing on a rare off-day for Norris, who faltered with mistakes on both SQ3 laps to finish a disappointing sixth. Antonelli impressed in seventh, ahead of Tsunoda, with Williams’ Alex Albon and Stroll completing the top 10. The session underscored the tight margins at the front, with the top four separated by less than two-tenths of a second.
Post-session reactions highlighted the intensity of the day. Hamilton, beaming in parc ferme, called the result “a motivation boost,” proving his doubters wrong after a muted Australian Grand Prix. Verstappen, meanwhile, admitted surprise at finishing P2, noting, “It’s closer than I expected—we’ve got a shot tomorrow.” Norris, visibly frustrated, lamented a “scruffy” SQ3, blaming a tricky McLaren setup that he struggled to tame.
Further down the order, Lawson’s nightmare debut with Red Bull raised eyebrows, with the Kiwi left to rue a lack of grip and control. Alpine’s woes also drew attention, with Doohan unfazed by an earlier power steering issue but unable to mask the team’s lack of pace. edunotes