In a riveting turn of events at the Chinese Grand Prix, Formula 1 newcomer Oscar Piastri stormed to his inaugural pole position, shattering the lap record in the process. However, the anticipated McLaren 1-2 finish was thwarted by a brilliant performance from George Russell, who relegated Norris to third position.
The Grand Prix was a stage of redemption for many drivers who faltered in the Sprint, among them Jack Doohan, who had previously collided with Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto. Nonetheless, Doohan’s opening attempt in Q1 was cut short due to a spin off at the infamous Turn 9, compelling him to retreat to the pits while Piastri clocked the fastest time.
With a thrilling 1:31.590s lap, Piastri edged out Sprint victor Lewis Hamilton by a tenth of a second. His teammate Norris, however, was stripped of his lap time after running wide at Turn 9. The Shanghai International Circuit also proved challenging for Charles Leclerc, who was struggling and remained in ninth place with several drivers yet to hit the track.
The drama escalated as Max Verstappen outpaced Piastri with a 1:31.424s lap. Red Bull teammate Liam Lawson, however, fell behind by a second, landing him in the dreaded drop zone. Lawson’s disappointing streak continued as he found himself in the bottom five alongside Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who had a frustrating debut in Melbourne.
Antonelli, however, turned the tables to claim third place. Leclerc’s second lap was a disappointment as he hit the kerb navigating the opening corners, causing him to fall to 12th place. Norris displayed a promising start with the best first sector time, but he failed to maintain that momentum, finishing five-tenths off from Verstappen’s Q1 benchmark.
With the second-fastest time, Leclerc secured his advancement to Q2, but his position was soon overtaken by the Racing Bulls duo and Norris. Lawson’s woeful Red Bull journey continued, resulting in his third consecutive Q1 elimination. Alpine drivers also faced disappointment, failing to progress to Q2 alongside Haas’ Oliver Bearman and Sauber’s Bortoleto.
As Q2 began, the pitlane was bustling with action. Russell set the initial pace in the second segment, but his time was soon outdone by Piastri and Norris in the McLaren cars. Verstappen managed to squeeze into third place, while Hamilton and Leclerc were trailing in seventh and ninth positions, respectively.
In a nail-biting final run in Q2, Lance Stroll, Esteban Ocon, Isack Hadjar, Fernando Alonso, and Carlos Sainz were in dire need of improved laps. Antonelli held on to ninth position, just enough to advance to Q3 as those behind him failed to make the cut. Sainz struggled to pick up pace and was eliminated, along with Ocon’s Haas, Nico Hulkenberg’s Sauber and both Aston Martin drivers.
The action escalated in the Q3 round. Norris led the pack with his Q2 time, but teammate Piastri was quick to challenge. Piastri outpaced Norris by 0.090s on the opening attempts, taking a provisional pole, with Verstappen hot on their heels in the third position.
Russell’s strategy of two warm-up laps paid off handsomely as he managed to split the Ferraris. The final lap was a tense affair with both Verstappen and Norris losing time in the middle sector. Piastri, on the other hand, held his nerve to improve his time, securing his debut pole position. Russell’s final lap was nothing short of extraordinary, securing him a spot on the front row and pushing Norris to third.
The top five was rounded out by Verstappen and Hamilton, with Leclerc finishing a tenth back in the second Ferrari in sixth place. The Racing Bulls showed promising pace throughout the weekend, culminating in Hadjar outpacing Antonelli and his teammate Tsunoda to secure seventh place.
