F1 Chinese Grand Prix LIVE: Qualifying updates in Shanghai as Max Verstappen claims Red Bull’s 100th pole
Formula 1 updates from the Shanghai International Circuit as China hosts the first sprint weekend of the season
Lewis Hamilton’s troubled start to the new season took another desperate twist on Saturday after he qualified a lowly 18th for the Chinese Grand Prix.
Hamilton earlier in the day had led the sprint race in Shanghai for eight laps before he had to settle for runner-up after he was overtaken by eventual winner Max Verstappen.
But less than four hours after Hamilton’s drive to second place - a result he described as his “best in a long time” - the 39-year-old was brought crashing back down to earth when he was eliminated in the opening phase of qualifying for Sunday’s main event.
The seven-time world champion locked up at the penultimate corner on his speediest lap, and he finished in the Q1 knockout zone, leaving only RB’s Yuki Tsunoda and Williams’ Logan Sargeant behind him on the grid.
Verstappen beat Hamilton by an impressive 13 seconds in Saturday’s sprint and he raced to a perhaps predictable pole position.
The Dutch driver, who is on course to take his fourth consecutive world championship, saw off team-mate Sergio Perez as Red Bull secured a front-row lockout. It also marked Red Bull’s 100th pole in F1.
Verstappen finished 0.322 seconds clear of Perez, with Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso third. Lando Norris, who dropped from pole to finish sixth in the sprint race, qualified fourth ahead of Oscar Piastri in the other McLaren.
Charles Leclerc and Sainz finished sixth and seventh respectively for Ferrari, while George Russell could manage only eighth on a poor afternoon for the Silver Arrows.
Follow live coverage of the Chinese Grand Prix with The Independent
F1 Qualifying LIVE - Q3
Alonso has just gone second-quickest behind Verstappen!
F1 Qualifying LIVE - Q3
Piastri almost went into the same gravel pit that almost became the end of Carlos Sainz’ weekend and did lead to a red flag in Q2.
F1 Qualifying LIVE - Q3
Verstappen crosses the line first, with Perez almost half a second behind his teammate.
F1 Qualifying LIVE - Q3
The cars are out to try and push for a place on the front line of tomorrow’s grid.
Lewis Hamilton to start Chinese Grand Prix in 18th after poor qualifying showing
Lewis Hamilton’s troubled start to the new season took another desperate twist on Saturday after he qualified a lowly 18th for the Chinese Grand Prix.
Hamilton earlier in the day had led the sprint race in Shanghai for eight laps before he had to settle for runner-up after he was overtaken by eventual winner Max Verstappen.
But less than four hours after Hamilton’s drive to second place – a result he described as his “best in a long time” – the 39-year-old was brought crashing back down to earth when he was eliminated in the opening phase of qualifying for Sunday’s main event.
Lewis Hamilton to start Chinese Grand Prix in 18th after poor qualifying showing
Hamilton had earlier led the sprint race in Shanghai for eight laps before finishing second to Max Verstappen.
F1 Qualifying LIVE - Q3
The 10 remaining drivers are getting ready to come out for Q3. Bottas just sneaked into the top 10, leaving Stroll in 11th place.
F1 Qualifying LIVE - Q2
Alex Albon: “We are so on a knife edge with everything” and expresses shared frustration that the high and low speed corners are causing problems.
F1 Qualifying LIVE - Q2
Bottas is a big winner from Q2, reaching Q3, while the two Alpines and Lance Stroll also not making the top 10.
F1 Qualifying LIVE - Q2
OUT:
11) Stroll
12) Ricciardo
13) Ocon
14) Albon
15) Gasly
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