SHANGHAI, China — In only his second race with Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton blasted to the top spot during Sprint Qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix Friday at Shanghai Int’l Circuit.
Hamilton posted a time of 1 minute and 30.849 seconds during the decisive qualifying phase to pip reigning world champion Max Verstappen’s Red Bull by 0.018 seconds.
Hamilton’s benchmark was a new lap record around the Shanghai International Circuit. The seven-time champion was mystified by his performance.
“I’m just a bit gobsmacked, honestly,” said Hamilton. “I’m a bit taken aback by it. I didn’t know when we would get to this position.
“After last weekend, it was a difficult start to the week and I came here with aggression and just wanted to go into the weekend and get the car into a really great place.
“I started out straightaway with a better feeling in the car and I can’t believe that we’re at the front, ahead of a McLaren which has been so fast throughout winter testing, the first race, and even today.”
Verstappen was pleased with second.
“I’m very happy with my performance today,” he said. “I think that in the first practice session we were quite a bit off so I’m really pleased with being on the front row. The lap was very good: it is always very tough to go from a medium to a soft tire, so to nail the lap with no references was great for us. Of course, when you look at it, we were incredibly close off pole so I am very happy to be second.”
Oscar Piastri was third for McLaren, with Hamilton’s teammate Charles Leclerc fourth.
George Russell put his Mercedes fifth on the grid. Lando Norris, who won the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, was sixth in the second McLaren entry.
