LEWIS HAMITLON BROKE the Shanghai lap record to take a stunning pole position for the Chinese Grand Prix sprint race as Ferrari bounced back from a torrid season-opener in style on Friday.
Hamilton, who has won a record six Chinese Grands Prix, flew round the resurfaced 5.451km Shanghai International Circuit in 1min 30.849sec in only his second race weekend with Ferrari.
Reigning world champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull was second 0.018sec behind and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri third.
Charles Leclerc was fourth in the second Ferrari, Mercedes’ George Russell was fifth, with early championship leader Lando Norris only sixth after he aborted his final flying lap in his McLaren.
Hamilton emerged from his car to a huge ovation from the Shanghai fans.
“I’m a bit in shock,” said the seven-time world champion from Britain, who was only 10th on his Ferrari debut at the season-opening race in Melbourne.
“I can’t believe we get a pole for the sprint. It puts us in good stead for the race.”
Hamilton later added that he was “a bit gobsmacked, taken back by it”.
Kimi Antonelli in a Mercedes, Yuki Tsunoda’s RB, Alex Albon’s Williams and Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin rounded out the top 10.
All the cars were obligated to run medium-compound tyres in the first two sprint qualifying sessions, termed SQ1 and SQ2.
Red Bull rookie Liam Lawson had a bad start to his weekend, failing to get out of the first session after having a lap time deleted for exceeding track limits and the New Zealander will start 20th and last.
Also eliminated after the first session were the Alpine pair of Jack Doohan and Pierre Gasly, Haas’s Esteban Ocon and the Sauber of Nico Hulkenberg.
In SQ2, Fernando Alonso was 11th in the Aston Martin and missed out on the top-10 shootout.
Also eliminated were Oliver Bearman’s Haas, the Williams of Carlos Sainz, Gabriel Bortoleto in a Sauber and Isack Hadjar’s RB.
The 19-lap sprint race will take place on Saturday morning before grand prix qualifying later the same day.
Sunday sees the Chinese Grand Prix over 56 laps.
Hopefully a sign that Ferrari are competitive this year. Still looks like McLaren are the ones to beat over a race format
Was never one for Lewis but I’ll try get behind him while he’s behind the wheel of a ferrari
Verstappen is good crac
Hon the tifosy
Stunning is a bit much, if it was Hülkenberg or someone or one of these rookies then maybe. If we’re at a stage where Hamilton in a Ferrari pulling out the odd result is stunning then he may as well pack it in.