Lewis Hamilton will start the Chinese Grand Prix sprint race on pole position, marking the first time he has taken print pole since the first-ever sprint at the 2021 British Grand Prix, and will be joined on a blockbuster front-row by Max Verstappen.
Lando Norris is sixth after a pair of mistakes on his two SQ3 laps, whilst Oscar Piastri is third.
Liam Lawson's day went from bad to worse after having a time deleted for track limits, meaning he was booted in SQ1, and will start stone dead last, unless Albon or Sainz are disqualified.
A late penalty was handed to Nico Hulkenberg after Stake opted to make changes to his car after the session, resulting in a pit lane start.
See the full starting grid below!
Starting grid for 2025 F1 Chinese Grand Prix Sprint
| Position | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari |
| 2. | Max Verstappen | Red Bull |
| 3. | Oscar Piastri | McLaren |
| 4. | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari |
| 5. | George Russell | Mercedes |
| 6. | Lando Norris | McLaren |
| 7. | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes |
| 8. | Yuki Tsunoda | Racing Bulls |
| 9. | Alex Albon | Williams |
| 10. | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin |
| 11. | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin |
| 12. | Ollie Bearman | Haas |
| 13. | Carlos Sainz | Williams |
| 14. | Gabriel Bortoleto | Stake |
| 15. | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls |
| 16. | Jack Doohan | Alpine |
| 17. | Pierre Gasly | Alpine |
| 18. | Esteban Ocon | Haas |
| 19. | Liam Lawson | Red Bull |
| Pit Lane | Nico Hulkenberg | Stake |
Also interesting:
WATCH: Hamilton sprint 'shock' as Verstappen makes remarkable Red Bull claim
Join RacingNews365's Ian Parkes and Nick Golding, as they dissect a thrilling Friday in Shanghai which saw Lewis Hamilton claim sprint pole!
Most read
In this article
Join the conversation!