F1: Lewis Hamilton takes first pole for Ferrari in China sprint race
The Hindu
Lewis Hamilton secures first sprint race pole for Ferrari in China, with Lando Norris starting sixth.
Lewis Hamilton smashed the Shanghai circuit lap record on his way to a stunning first sprint race pole for Ferrari in China on Friday (March 21, 2025), with Red Bull's reigning champion Max Verstappen alongside on the front row.
The seven times world champion produced a best time of one minute 30.849 seconds with last year's winner Verstappen a mere 0.018 slower in the first sprint race qualifying of the Formula One season.
McLaren's Oscar Piastri qualified third with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc fourth, Mercedes' George Russell fifth and McLaren's championship leader Lando Norris sixth.
The sprint pole was Hamilton's first of any sort since joining Ferrari from Mercedes and marked a remarkable turnaround from finishing 10th in a disappointing season-opener in Australia last weekend.
"I didn't expect that result but I'm so happy and so proud," said the 40-year-old.
"The last race was a disaster for us and we knew there was more performance in the car but weren't able to extract it. I'm a bit in shock."
Verstappen said second was a morale boost for the team but expected it would be hard to keep the McLarens behind even over a reduced distance.
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