Hamilton Claims Shocking Pole Position for Sprint Race in China

SHANGHAI, China — Lewis Hamilton stunned the motorsport world on Friday by securing pole position for the sprint race at the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix, marking his first pole with Ferrari. The seven-time world champion edged out Red Bull rival Max Verstappen by a mere 0.018 seconds with a lap time of 1:30.849.

After a disappointing 10th-place finish in the season opener in Australia, Hamilton’s performance in Shanghai signified a remarkable turnaround. In his second race weekend with the Scuderia, he expressed disbelief at his achievement during the post-qualifying interview, stating, “I can’t believe we got a pole for the sprint. It’s obviously not the main race, so we’ve got work to do for tomorrow, but this puts us in good stead for the race.”

The qualifying session unfolded under optimal conditions, with Hamilton taking advantage of the Shanghai International Circuit’s familiar layout, where he has historically performed well. “This is a track that I love; it’s a beautiful place, and the weather has been amazing,” Hamilton remarked.

McLaren was expected to dominate the qualifying session after a strong showing in practice, where Lando Norris led the timesheets. However, Norris made critical errors in the final sector of qualifying, resulting in a sixth-place finish. He acknowledged his struggles, saying, “I made a mistake, locked up in the last corner. We struggled a lot with the car and just the difficulties we’ve been facing showed a lot more today.”

Oscar Piastri managed a third-place qualification, just 0.080 seconds off Hamilton’s time, but both McLaren drivers failed to capitalize on their earlier pace. Meanwhile, Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc qualified fourth, acknowledging Hamilton’s superior pace, saying, “I struggled a lot in Turns 1, 2, 3, which was more or less the same struggles I had last year.”

Verstappen’s performance, starting from second on the grid, came as a surprise considering the struggles faced by Red Bull throughout the weekend. He expressed satisfaction, saying, “I’m very happy. In practice, we were quite a bit off, so I’m very happy to be on the front row.” However, his teammate Liam Lawson faced frustration, qualifying in last place after failing to maintain tire temperatures during his runs.

Mercedes also showed competitiveness, with George Russell finishing fifth and Kimi Antonelli securing seventh. Their results provide a boost to the team who are finding their way back to form after a challenging start to the season.

As Hamilton prepares for the sprint race on Saturday, it will be his first experience driving the Ferrari in dry race conditions, following issues in pre-season testing and rainy conditions during the Australian Grand Prix. He remains realistic about the challenge ahead, acknowledging the speed of both Red Bull and McLaren: “We’re in a good position. We’ll stay positive and keep our heads high.”

The 19-lap sprint race is set to take place at 11 p.m. ET Saturday, before the main event on Sunday. Hamilton’s pole position also serves to build excitement as fans look forward to continuing the competitive drama of the 2025 Formula One season.