Oscar Piastri has secured pole position for the first time in his F1 career. The Australian achieved this milestone at the Shanghai International Circuit, edging out Mercedes’ George Russell and teammate Lando Norris (3rd). Max Verstappen will start from the second row, alongside his British friend and rival.
QUALIFYING GP CHINA AT A GLANCE
Q1: The pit lane exit is bustling as the start light turns green at 07:00 UTC. Oscar Piastri records the fastest lap after the initial skirmishes, while Jack Doohan does himself no favors with a spin. Max Verstappen is the last to leave the garage and immediately posts the fastest time. In the second round, which the reigning world champion can skip due to his quick time, Lando Norris makes his presence felt for McLaren. The Racing Bulls also put in a strong performance in China, with Isack Hadjar (2nd) and Yuki Tsunoda (3rd). Liam Lawson, on the other hand, exits the RB21 disappointed once again: Verstappen’s teammate finishes last and, just like in Australia, does not survive the first cut. Oliver Bearman, Gabriel Bortoleto, Jack Doohan, and Pierre Gasly are also out after eighteen minutes.
Qualifying Round 2
Both McLarens set the pace in the first session of the second qualifying round, with Norris once again proving to be the fastest. Max Verstappen emerges as the best-of-the-rest. The Dutchman is the only one who can compete with the McLarens, squeezing himself between Norris and his British colleague, Oscar Piastri. The Racing Bulls once again cause a minor sensation, with Hadjar positioning himself in P4 and his colleague Tsunoda in P5. The Italian racing team thus nestles itself ahead of both the Mercedes and Ferraris… Carlos Sainz also loses the second internal qualifying duel at Williams to Alex Albon, making Q2 his final stop. Along with him, Fernando Alonso, Lance Stroll, Nico Hülkenberg, and Esteban Ocon can also step out of the car.
Qualifying Round 3
Piastri sets the tone in the decisive qualifying session. He is a fraction faster than his teammate Norris (0.090), followed by Verstappen who is just over two-tenths behind. Both Racing Bulls play a secondary role at 0.7 seconds, but Hadjar and Tsunoda are the only ones in the top-8 who have set their times on used soft tires. Hadjar and Verstappen nearly collide on their way to their final round in the pit lane, but they see Piastri improve his time and secure the pole position for the first time in his career. George Russell shoots up to P2 in the final seconds, ahead of Norris and Verstappen.
