Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time as he secured pole position for the Chinese Grand Prix Sprint in Friday’s qualifying session for Ferrari at the Shanghai International Circuit, Afrosport reports.
The seven-time world champion posted a track record time of one minute, 30.849 seconds, finishing a close 0.018 seconds ahead of former title rival Max Verstappen while McLaren’s Piastri took third place.
Reacting to his first Sprint pole for Ferrari, Hamilton said: “I’m just a bit gobsmacked, honestly. 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.”
The 40-year-old added: “My first sector was really, really strong, I think that’s where I made most of my improvement on that lap, but just little increments through the whole place.
“There’s still time to find, for sure, which I’ll try and make sure that I apply to the next Qualifying session we go out in. It’s amazing to see the number one as you stop and to be in the red car, it’s pretty incredible.”
#F1SPRINT CLASSIFICATION
Hamilton pips Verstappen by fractions
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Charles Leclerc was fourth in the other Ferrari, George Russell secured fifth for Mercedes while Australian Grand Prix winner Lando Norris was sixth in the other McLaren.
Kimi Antonelli, Yuki Tsunoda, Alex Albon and Lance Stroll rounded out the top 10.
