In a thrilling turn of events at the 2025 FIA Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton claimed a sensational first pole position with Ferrari during qualifying for the Sprint. The seven-time champion narrowly edged out Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, with early championship leader Lando Norris qualifying in sixth place. Hamilton’s pole time of 1:30.849 not only secured him the top spot but also set a new lap record at the Shanghai International Circuit, surpassing Sebastian Vettel’s 2018 Q3 time by nearly a quarter of a second.
The qualifying session began with Verstappen setting the early benchmark in SQ1 with a time of 1:32.329, comfortably ahead of Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar. However, Hamilton quickly took over the lead, finishing exactly a tenth of a second faster than Verstappen, with Charles Leclerc moving into second place, just a hundredth off his teammate.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri then showcased his speed, taking the top spot with a time of 1:31.723, half a second ahead of Hamilton. Despite being the quickest in free practice, Lando Norris had a rough start, posting a 1:32.248, which placed him fifth. Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso seized the opportunity to secure second place, just under four tenths off Piastri.
In the final runs of the segment, Norris corrected his earlier mistakes, surging to the top with a lap of 1:31.396. However, Hamilton was relentless, topping the session with a time of 1:31.212. Leclerc finished third in the other Ferrari, ahead of Piastri, while Verstappen comfortably advanced to fifth.
Disappointment struck for Verstappen’s new Red Bull teammate, Liam Lawson, whose final lap was deleted for a track limits infringement at Turn 9, leaving him in last place. Also eliminated at the end of SQ1 were Alpine’s Jack Doohan, whose final time was also deleted, dropping him to P16 ahead of teammate Pierre Gasly, Haas’ Esteban Ocon, Sauber’s Nico Hülkenberg, and the unfortunate Lawson.
In the middle segment, Norris led the way with a time of 1:31.174, 0.188 seconds ahead of teammate Piastri and just under four tenths ahead of Verstappen. The top three drivers sat out the final minutes, allowing Mercedes’ George Russell to sneak ahead of Piastri, finishing 0.172 seconds off Norris. Hamilton improved to fourth, ahead of Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who pushed Verstappen to sixth, followed by Williams’ Alex Albon and Leclerc.
The last two drivers to advance to the top 10 shootout were Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and Racing Bulls’ Yuki Tsunoda, meaning there was no place in SQ3 for Alonso, who slipped out in P11, just two hundredths of a second off Tsunoda. Haas’ Oliver Bearman exited in P12, followed by Williams’ Carlos Sainz, Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto, and Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar.
After Norris’ impressive performance in the middle segment, Piastri took provisional pole in their first SQ3 runs, ahead of Russell, while Norris lost time due to a snap heading onto the back straight, slipping to third. However, while the McLarens prepared for another attempt, it was Hamilton who found the most time on the Shanghai track, securing his first Sprint pole for Ferrari with a time of 1:30.849.
2025 FIA Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix – Sprint Qualifying
1 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:30.849 – –
2 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:30.867 0.018
3 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 1:30.929 0.080
4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:31.057 0.208
5 George Russell Mercedes 1:31.169 0.320
6 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1:31.393 0.544
7 Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:31.738 0.889
8 Yuki Tsunoda Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT 1:31.773 0.924
9 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1:31.852 1.003
10 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:31.982 1.133
11 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:31.815 0.966
12 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 1:31.978 1.129
13 Carlos Sainz Williams/Mercedes 1:32.325 1.476
14 Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber/Ferrari 1:32.564 1.715
15 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT – – –
16 Jack Doohan Alpine/Renault 1:32.575 1.726
17 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 1:32.640 1.791
18 Esteban Ocon Haas/Ferrari 1:32.651 1.802
19 Nico Hülkenberg Sauber/Ferrari 1:32.675 1.826
20 Liam Lawson Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:32.729 1.880