LEWIS HAMILTON TAKES FIRST POLE FOR FERRARI IN SPRINT RACE AT CHINESE GP
Lewis Hamilton surprised everyone by getting his first pole position as a Ferrari driver for the Sprint race at the Chinese Grand Prix. This is only his second race with Ferrari, and it’s his first pole since July 2023.
After a tough start with Ferrari in Melbourne, where he finished 10th, Hamilton showed great speed at the track where he has won six times before. Even though McLaren was expected to be the fastest, Hamilton outpaced his teammate Charles Leclerc and other top drivers to take the pole.
Max Verstappen will start next to Hamilton on the front row, while Oscar Piastri from McLaren finished third. Lando Norris, the early championship leader, made a mistake on his final lap, leaving him in sixth.
When Hamilton’s engineer told him about the pole position, he sounded shocked but happy, saying, “Really? Hahaha! Mega job. Woo!” Later, he added, “I didn’t expect that result, but I’m so happy and proud. Last race was a disaster, but we knew there was more speed in the car.”
Liam Lawson’s tough time with Red Bull continued as he qualified last for the Sprint. George Russell finished fifth for Mercedes, and his teammate Kimi Antonelli was seventh. Yuki Tsunoda from Racing Bulls finished eighth, Alex Albon from Williams was ninth, and Lance Stroll completed the top 10 for Aston Martin.
British rookie Oliver Bearman impressed by qualifying 12th, ahead of his more experienced Haas teammate Esteban Ocon.
Hamilton’s Reaction:
Hamilton was excited about his first Ferrari pole, saying, “I’m a bit gobsmacked. I didn’t think we’d be in this position after last weekend. We came here determined to do better, and I felt more confident with the car right from the start.”
“You could see Hamilton had it right from the start. The car was stable, and he managed the tires perfectly. It’s an amazing comeback for him.”
Shanghai Hosts Sprint Race:
This year, Shanghai is hosting the first of six Sprint events. Ferrari had a rough time in Melbourne, but the car seemed to perform better on the Shanghai track. Hamilton was fast from the start, and Ferrari looked strong throughout the Sprint Qualifying.
Hamilton’s final lap time of 1:30.849 was just 0.018 seconds faster than Verstappen and 0.080 seconds quicker than Piastri. Hamilton is hopeful about the Sprint race but knows that McLaren and Verstappen will be strong competitors.
Lando Norris admitted that his mistake cost him a better result, saying, “I made a mistake. I locked up in the last corner. The car was just difficult to handle today.”
The Sprint race starts at 3 a.m., followed by Qualifying at 7 a.m., live on Sky Sports F1.
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