F1 Chinese Grand Prix LIVE: Qualifying updates in Shanghai as Max Verstappen claims Red Bull’s 100th pole
Formula 1 updates from the Shanghai International Circuit as China hosts the first sprint weekend of the season
Lewis Hamilton’s troubled start to the new season took another desperate twist on Saturday after he qualified a lowly 18th for the Chinese Grand Prix.
Hamilton earlier in the day had led the sprint race in Shanghai for eight laps before he had to settle for runner-up after he was overtaken by eventual winner Max Verstappen.
But less than four hours after Hamilton’s drive to second place - a result he described as his “best in a long time” - the 39-year-old was brought crashing back down to earth when he was eliminated in the opening phase of qualifying for Sunday’s main event.
The seven-time world champion locked up at the penultimate corner on his speediest lap, and he finished in the Q1 knockout zone, leaving only RB’s Yuki Tsunoda and Williams’ Logan Sargeant behind him on the grid.
Verstappen beat Hamilton by an impressive 13 seconds in Saturday’s sprint and he raced to a perhaps predictable pole position.
The Dutch driver, who is on course to take his fourth consecutive world championship, saw off team-mate Sergio Perez as Red Bull secured a front-row lockout. It also marked Red Bull’s 100th pole in F1.
Verstappen finished 0.322 seconds clear of Perez, with Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso third. Lando Norris, who dropped from pole to finish sixth in the sprint race, qualified fourth ahead of Oscar Piastri in the other McLaren.
Charles Leclerc and Sainz finished sixth and seventh respectively for Ferrari, while George Russell could manage only eighth on a poor afternoon for the Silver Arrows.
Follow live coverage of the Chinese Grand Prix with The Independent
F1 Qualifying
Good morning to those of you just joining The Independent’s live blog for qualifying, which gets under way in just under an hour.
The sprint race took place at 4am BST, with Max Verstappen coming from fourth to claim victory from Lewis Hamilton, and Sergio Perez in third.
Max Verstappen denies Lewis Hamilton a sprint victory in China
Max Verstappen denied Lewis Hamilton the first sprint win of his career after passing his rival to win in China on Saturday.
Hamilton started second, and rolled back the years at the Shanghai International Circuit by beating pole-sitter Lando Norris off the line, and taking control of the 19-lap charge to the chequered flag.
But Verstappen, who started fourth, ended Hamilton’s dream of re-entering the winner’s enclosure for the first time in 867 days when he blasted past the Mercedes driver on the ninth lap.
Verstappen crossed the line 13 seconds clear of Hamilton with Sergio Perez taking third.
Hamilton joined Norris to form an all-British front-row in something of a topsy-turvy grid following yesterday’s rain-hit qualifying session.
Chinese Grand Prix LIVE
Zhou Guanyu on racing in China and performing well in sprint qualifying:
Daniel Ricciardo admits he does not deserve his F1 seat if poor form continues
Daniel Ricciardo said he has been assured by Red Bull that he is not set to lose his seat – but admitted if he continues to get his “arse whooped” he does not deserve to be in Formula One.
Following a troubled start to his first full season back on the grid, Ricciardo, 34, arrives for this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix as a driver under pressure.
Ricciardo was handed a reprieve by Red Bull’s junior outfit, RB, midway through last season, after he was dumped by McLaren.
Daniel Ricciardo admits he does not deserve his F1 seat if poor form continues
Ricciardo has been out-qualified by team-mate Yuki Tsunoda at every event, and without a point to his name so far this season.
Chinese Grand Prix LIVE
Here’s Max Verstappen talking us through his sprint race qualifying:
Chinese Grand Prix LIVE
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen who finished fourth and will have to fight from the second row tomorrow for the sprint race said: “It never really switched on for me.
“It was just like driving on ice, that is why also I think we deserved where we are in qualifying, it isn’t really working for me in the wet but it is not where we are in the dry.
“It is not ideal to start on the inside here. We have to try and have the best start possible and then I think it will be quite a long stint on one tyres in the sprint.”
Chinese Grand Prix LIVE
Fernando Alonso, who finished third in sprint race qualifying, speaking to Sky Sports: “We were not super competitive on the dry. In the wet it was difficult to judge the level of grip and risk we wanted to apply but in the end I am happy.
“We have a lot of racing laps in the weekend with the sprint race tomorrow and the race on Sunday. Let’s see if we can qualify well for Sunday’s race tomorrow and then we will see.”
Chinese Grand Prix LIVE
Zhou Guanyu secured a place in the top 10 for tomorrow’s sprint race in a dream start to his home race weekend.
“We will give everything,” he told Sky Sports after sprint qualifying. “I am just happy with the first day and great to have everyone here.
“The pressure before the weekend was so extreme, like I felt when I made my debut. Everyone is here and that is when you want to do well.”
Lando Norris lands sprint race pole position at Chinese Grand Prix
Lando Norris mastered a rain-hit qualifying to secure pole position for Saturday’s sprint race at the Chinese Grand Prix.
In soaking conditions at the Shanghai International Circuit, Norris finished 1.2 seconds clear of Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton in an all-British front row for Saturday’s 19-lap dash.
Hamilton looked to have taken top spot after Norris’ best lap was deleted by the stewards only for it then to be reinstated.
Lando Norris lands sprint race pole position at Chinese Grand Prix
In soaking conditions at the Shanghai International Circuit, Norris finished 1.2 seconds clear of Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton
Chinese Grand Prix LIVE
Here’s what Lewis Hamilton had to say after finishing on the front row for the sprint race: “It was very tricky. Tricky conditions, not a lot of grip as you saw. I’m so happy, as soon as I saw the rain coming I got excited because under dry conditions we’re not quick enough.
“When the rain came I thought that I would have a better opportunity and that’s when it all came alive.
“It really depends on what the conditions will be [for the sprint tomorrow]. If it’s like that then maybe we’ll have a chance of being somewhere up there. I think if it’s dry the Ferraris and Red Bulls will come by but maybe we can hold off some of the others.”
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