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F1 Chinese GP LIVE: Race start time as Oscar Piastri starts on pole ahead of Lewis Hamilton
Follow updates from the Shanghai International Circuit as Piastri starts at front with Russell alongside him
Oscar Piastri raised the stakes in his championship battle with Lando Norris by securing the first pole position of his career at the Chinese Grand Prix.
Norris won last weekend’s opening round in Australia with Piastri only ninth after he slipped off the road in the rain when narrowly trailing his McLaren team-mate.
But at the second round of the season in Shanghai, Piastri pulled out all the stops to see off George Russell of Mercedes by just 0.082 seconds with Norris having to settle for third, more than a tenth adrift of the Australian.
Max Verstappen took fourth spot, one place ahead of Lewis Hamilton, who landed his first win as a Ferrari driver in the earlier sprint race. Hamilton’s teammate Charles Leclerc starts in sixth. The race on Sunday, round two of the 2025 season, starts at 7am (GMT).
Follow live updates of the Chinese Grand Prix with The Independent
Toto Wolff on Russell's lap:
“We are struggling left, right and centre getting the tyres in the right window. He got it super right, he’s able to put it together.
“It’s so tight in the times, it’s a discovery mission.”
George Russell on team radio:
Russell: “Go on! Come on! That was a session!”
Wolff: “That was a good one!”
FULL STARTING GRID FOR CHINESE GP
1. Oscar Piastri
2. George Russell
3. Lando Norris
4. Max Verstappen
5. Lewis Hamilton
6. Charles Leclerc
7. Isack Hadjar
8. Kimi Antonelli
9. Yuki Tsunoda
10. Alex Albon
11. Esteban Ocon
12. Nico Hulkenberg
13. Fernando Alonso
14. Lance Stroll
15. Carlos Sainz
16. Pierre Gasly
17. Ollie Bearman
18. Jack Doohan
19. Gabriel Bortoleto
20. Liam Lawson
Lando Norris after qualifying P3:
“Always disappointed if I’m not on pole, Oscar deserves it today - happy for him.
“A couple of mistakes again, been my case again. Car was a bit better today, a step in the right direction. Not too disappointed.
“We changed a lot on the car because we were nowhere. We’ll see.”
Oscar Piastri:
“That was the hairpin of my life! I had a little scream in my helmet! I won’t break your eardrums!
Oscar Piastri on pole position in China!
No-one improves... apart from Oscar Piastri!
He sets a new lap record in Shanghai - while George Russell found some pace to go P2, by 0.082 secs!
3-10: Norris, Verstappen, Hamilton, Leclerc, Hadjar, Antonelli, Tsunoda, Albon
What a lap from Russell at the end! But it’s Piastri’s first pole position for a grand prix in F1!
Oscar Piastri on provisional pole!
It’s close!
Oscar Piastri P1 after the first laps, ahead of his McLaren teammate Lando Norris in P2 by 0.090 seconds!
3-10: Verstappen, Hamilton, Russell, Leclerc, Hadjar, Tsunoda, Antonelli, Albon
Looks like McLaren have finally unlocked the performance in their car... can anyone respond with their second laps?!
5:00 to go in Q3...
Qualifying coming right up!
So after Lewis Hamilton’s victory earlier, is he now the favourite for pole this morning?
What about McLaren - can Lando Norris respond after a poor weekend so far?
And you can never count out Max Verstappen,
Qualifying should be a thriller - and it’s coming up at 7am (GMT)!
TOP-8 IN CHINA GP SPRINT RACE
1. Lewis Hamilton
2. Oscar Piastri
3. Max Verstappen
4. George Russell
5. Charles Leclerc
6. Yuki Tsunoda
7. Kimi Antonelli
8. Lando Norris
Lewis Hamilton after his sprint race win:
“Straight away, on Monday, I hit Riccardo up and said the things I wanted to start with this weekend, much happier with that, a couple of changes - from the moment I started driving yesterday, I felt more at one with the car.
“The last race in the wet was my first long run, that was my first proper long run. Still working with this car, really happy with how that came out.”
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