Max Verstappen achieved an impressive feat by securing five consecutive pole positions, only equaling former F1 champion Mika Hakkinen during the 1999 season. Red Bull marked their 100th pole position in just 15 years, with Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez coming in second. The reigning F1 champions dominated the qualifying session, leaving their competitors with no chance.
The final round of qualifying started quickly, as the drivers wasted no time in hitting the track to determine the starting grid for Sunday’s race. Verstappen took the lead, securing provisional pole position with a four-tenths advantage over Alonso in second and nearly half a second faster than Perez in third. Norris was in fourth.
With just four minutes remaining, the drivers made their final attempts to improve their positions. Sainz led his teammate Leclerc and the rest of the pack out of the pits. The top four drivers stayed on track for a few minutes before doing the same.
Meanwhile, the other 15 drivers embarked on the second phase of qualifying, aiming to secure a spot in the top 10. However, with less than seven minutes remaining, Sainz lost control of his car in the final corner, spun, and hit the barriers after going off into the gravel trap. This incident caused a red flag, temporarily halting the session.
Fortunately, Sainz managed to get his car back on track and returned to the Ferrari pits, albeit without a front wing. The red flag lasted 6 minutes and 44 seconds, giving the drivers a chance to make one more attempt in Q3.
As soon as the session resumed, Sainz faced immense pressure, as he had only one more opportunity to set a lap time. Verstappen maintained his position as the fastest driver, clocking a time of 1:33.794, putting him 0.232 seconds ahead of Perez in second place. Sainz put in an admirable performance, securing the third fastest time, while Leclerc ended up fourth.
Unfortunately, Lance Stroll missed out on the battle for the top ten positions, finishing in 11th place and being edged out by Bottas in the Sauber by just 0.069 seconds. Daniel Ricciardo took 12th place in the RB, behind Stroll by 0.096 seconds and ahead of Esteban Ocon, who finished 13th in the Alpine, by 0.289 seconds. Alex Albon secured 14th place for Williams, with Pierre Gasly finishing 15th in the other Alpine.
After the Sprint Race, the evident conditions persisted during qualifying, with the track temperature at the start of Q1 reaching 35 degrees Celsius, while the ambient temperature was at 22 degrees.
With the regulations of a Sprint weekend now allowing adjustments in parc fermé conditions between the Sprint and qualifying, teams and drivers made changes to their cars based on the lessons learned and data collected from the short race and its qualifying session.
Perez quickly expressed his dissatisfaction with Albon in the Williams, who obstructed him on the track. Albon responded over the radio, claiming he did his best to avoid a collision with the Mexican driver. The incident was acknowledged by the stewards, but no further investigation was deemed necessary.
During a fast lap, Perez went off track after encountering Albon.
“What the hell was that?” exclaimed Checo. #F1 #ChineseGP pic.twitter.com/wFR7Y0YBps
– Formula 1 (@F1) April 20, 2024
With just six minutes remaining in Q1, Sainz was leading the session, followed by Piastri, Alonso, Verstappen, Bottas, Albon, Russell, Leclerc, Stroll, Ocon, Yuki Tsunoda, Gasly, Hulkenberg, Zhou Guanyu, and Logan Sargeant.
At that moment, Perez had not yet set a time due to his incident with Albon, which ruined his first attempt. He returned to the track with four minutes remaining, while Norris, with his initial effort putting him in 17th place, was also looking to secure his spot in Q2. Hamilton was in 18th place.
On his second attempt, Norris took the lead, while all teams sent their drivers out for their final laps before the five slowest were eliminated.
With less than a minute to go, a brief yellow flag was raised when Sargeant spun at Turn 9.
In the end, Verstappen led the pack in Q2 with a time of 1:34.742, 0.055s ahead of Leclerc in second place, with Norris in third.
Local favorite Zhou was the first driver to be eliminated, finishing in 16th place and missing out on Q2 by just 0.048s to Perez, who managed to advance to the second phase.
Kevin Magnussen was the 17th fastest driver in the Haas, behind Zhou by 0.011s and ahead of Hamilton, who was in 18th place, by 0.057s. It was a big disappointment for the seven-time F1 champion after his good performance in the Sprint Race.
Yuki Tsunoda was the 19th fastest, perplexed by his lack of performance, while Ricciardo secured a spot in Q2. Sargeant finished last, as usual.
© 2024
Soccer is an exciting sport that captivates millions of fans around the world. With talented players and thrilling matches, it’s hard not to get involved with this sport. And for sports lovers, incredible news: the soccer season is about to begin and promises to be one of the most exciting yet.
Teams are preparing intensely for the games, training hard and seeking the best physical condition. Coaches are studying tactics and strategies to ensure their teams’ victory. And players are eager to take the field and show all their talent.
In addition, there are several signings and transfers happening in the market. Renowned players are changing clubs and new talents are being discovered. These changes are shaking up the football scene and making fans even more excited.
And let’s not forget about the big classics that are yet to come. Games between the biggest rivals are always highly contested and full of emotion. Fans are already making their bets and eagerly awaiting these showdowns.
So, get ready for a football season full of excitement and surprises. Stay tuned to the news, follow the games, and cheer for your favorite team. The show is about to begin and promises to be unforgettable. Let’s celebrate together the most popular sport in the world!
