In a thrilling qualifying session for the 2025 FIA Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix, Oscar Piastri etched his name into the annals of racing history by setting a new track record and securing his first career pole position. The McLaren driver delivered a breathtaking performance, clocking in at 1:30.641, narrowly edging out Mercedes’ George Russell by a mere nine hundredths of a second. His teammate, Lando Norris, completed the podium with a time of 1:30.723.
The session began with Piastri setting the tone in Q1, posting a time of 1:31.591, which was a tenth of a second faster than China Sprint winner Lewis Hamilton and nearly half a second ahead of Russell. However, Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen, one of the last to leave the pit lane, made a stunning comeback with a lap of 1:31.424, featuring a purple final sector, to temporarily take the lead.
As the track conditions improved, the opportunity arose for others to challenge Verstappen’s time. Racing Bulls’ Yuki Tsunoda was the first to seize the moment, setting a lap of 1:31.238. His new teammate, Isack Hadjar, briefly took the top spot before Norris surged ahead with a time of 1:30.983.
At the other end of the spectrum, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly was the first to be eliminated in P16, followed by Haas’ Oliver Bearman, the second Alpine of Jack Doohan, Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto, and Red Bull’s Liam Lawson.
In Q2, Norris continued his impressive form, posting a time of 1:30.787, four tenths ahead of Piastri, with Verstappen in third. Norris opted to sit out the final runs, while Piastri ventured out on used Soft-compound Pirelli tyres, allowing Verstappen to snatch P2 with a final time of 1:31.142. Hadjar’s impressive performance earned him fourth place, just five hundredths of a second off Piastri, while Tsunoda secured fifth, four hundredths ahead of Russell.
The session concluded with the elimination of Haas’ Esteban Ocon in P11, Sauber’s Nico Hülkenberg, Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, and Williams’ Carlos Sainz in 15th place.
Q3 saw Verstappen set the early pace with a lap of 1:30.925, but it wasn’t enough to hold off the McLarens. Piastri took provisional pole with a time of 0.222 seconds ahead of the champion, with Norris nine hundredths of a second behind his teammate. Piastri further improved in the final runs, shaving off another six hundredths to secure his first grand prix pole position. Norris chose not to attempt a final lap, allowing Russell to claim a front-row spot with a time of 1:30.723. Norris finished third, ahead of Verstappen, who couldn’t improve on his final run.
Hamilton secured fifth place ahead of teammate Leclerc, while Isack Hadjar’s excellent performance earned him seventh place. However, Hadjar faced an investigation post-session for an unsafe release into Verstappen’s path ahead of the final runs. Andrea Kimi Antonelli qualified eighth for Mercedes, ahead of Tsunoda, with Alex Albon rounding out the top ten for Williams.
As the dust settled, Oscar Piastri stood tall, having achieved a remarkable feat in one of the most competitive qualifying sessions of the season. The stage was set for an exhilarating race, with Piastri poised to make history once more.
2025 FIA Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix – Qualifying
1 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 1:30.641 – –
2 George Russell Mercedes 1:30.723 0.082 0.090
3 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1:30.793 0.152 0.168
4 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:30.817 0.176 0.194
5 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:30.927 0.286 0.316
6 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:31.021 0.380 0.419
7 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT 1:31.079 0.438 0.483
8 Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:31.103 0.462 0.510
9 Yuki Tsunoda Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT 1:31.638 0.997 1.100
10 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1:31.706 1.065 1.175
11 Esteban Ocon Haas/Ferrari 1:31.625 0.984 1.086
12 Nico Hülkenberg Sauber/Ferrari 1:31.632 0.991 1.093
13 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:31.688 1.047 1.155
14 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:31.773 1.132 1.249
15 Carlos Sainz Williams/Mercedes 1:31.840 1.199 1.323
16 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 1:31.992 1.351 1.490
17 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 1:32.018 1.377 1.519
18 Jack Doohan Alpine/Renault 1:32.092 1.451 1.601
19 Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber/Ferrari 1:32.141 1.500 1.655
20 Liam Lawson Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:32.174 1.533 1.691