Lewis Hamilton Grabs First Pole In Ferrari Red, Breaks Lap Record In Chinese GP Sprint Qualifying

Lewis Hamilton broke the Shanghai tour record to take a superb pole position for the sprint race of the Chinese Grand Prix while Ferrari bounced on Friday from a hot season opening. Hamilton, who won a record of six large Chinese prices, flew around the Shanghai International Shanghai circuit of 5.451 km of 5.451 km in 1 min 30.849sec during his second race weekend with Ferrari. The reigning world champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull was the second 0.018 seconds behind and the third Oscar Piastri de McLaren. Charles Leclerc finished fourth in the second Ferrari, George Russell of Mercedes finished fifth, with the first leader of the Lando Norris championship only sixth after having abortion his last flight in his McLaren.

Hamilton came out of his car to a huge ovation of Shanghai fans.

“I am a little in shock,” said the seven times world champion in Great Britain, who was only 10th in his debut Ferrari during the opening race of the season in Melbourne.

“I cannot believe that we get a pole for the sprint. It puts us in good place for the race.”

Kimi Antonelli in a Mercedes, the RB of Yuki Tsunoda, Williams of Alex Albon and Aston Martin de Lance completed the top 10.

All cars were forced to run medium composition tires during the first two Sprint qualification sessions, called SQ1 and SQ2.

Red Bull’s recruit, Liam Lawson, took a bad start of the weekend, having failed to get out of the first session after being deleted in the Tour for having exceeded the track limits and the New Zealander will start the 20th and last.

Also eliminated after the first session, the Alpine pair of Jack Doohan and Pierre Gasly, Esteban Ocon of Haas and Sauber by Nico Hulkenberg.

In SQ2, Fernando Alonso was 11th at Aston Martin and missed the shooting of the Top 10.

The Haas of Oliver Bearman, the Williams of Carlos Sainz, Gabriel Bortoleto in a RB of Sauber and Isack Hadjar.

The 19 -round sprint race will take place on Saturday morning before the Grand Prix was later qualified the same day.

Sunday sees the Chinese Grand Prix more than 56 laps.

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