This contains inserted content from a social media network that wants to write or read cookies. You have not given permission for this.
After just one practice session, the drivers immediately had to work hard during qualifying for the sprint race. Not ideal preparation for the Shanghai International Circuit, a circuit where no F1 cars had driven for five years. It only made the challenge for the riders even greater.
This contains inserted content from a social media network that wants to write or read cookies. You have not given permission for this.
There was also a chance of rain and that ensured that there was a lot of action on the track from the start of the first part of the sprint qualifying. Halfway through SQ1, there were also some raindrops. Remarkably, at the end of SQ1, another fire broke out right next to the circuit, which also happened during the only practice session.
This contains inserted content from a social media network that wants to write or read cookies. You have not given permission for this.
Ultimately, there were no surprises at the end of SQ1. Sergio Perez set the fastest time, ahead of Lando Norris and Max Verstappen.
This contains inserted content from a social media network that wants to write or read cookies. You have not given permission for this.
Due to the fire at the end of SQ1, the second part of the sprint qualifying started a little later. At the same time, threatening rain clouds were approaching the circuit, which resulted in many drivers lining up at the end of the pit lane several minutes before the start of SQ2.
This contains inserted content from a social media network that wants to write or read cookies. You have not given permission for this.
Setting a lap time in SQ2 as quickly as possible was indeed the assignment. Max Verstappen was one-tenth faster in SQ2 than Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari. The biggest surprise was the elimination of George Russell, who finished eleventh. Russell tried to improve his lap time at the end of the session, but due to the rain, he had no choice but to simply return to the pit lane.
This contains inserted content from a social media network that wants to write or read cookies. You have not given permission for this.
The home crowd was very happy because after Guanyu Zhou had narrowly managed to advance to the second part in SQ1, the Chinese managed to advance to SQ3 with a tenth fastest time. The cheering in the stands was deafening.
This contains inserted content from a social media network that wants to write or read cookies. You have not given permission for this.
Meanwhile, the Shanghai International Circuit was so wet due to the rain that SQ3, the part in which the battle for pole position for the sprint race was fought, had to be started on intermediate tires. It promised to be an exciting battle to become this ‘mini-pole’.
This contains inserted content from a social media network that wants to write or read cookies. You have not given permission for this.
At the start of SQ3, the circuit was very wet, rain combined with a new asphalt layer, which is not a good combination and we saw many drivers make mistakes while looking for grip on the track. We had a sensational battle for pole position for the sprint race.
This contains inserted content from a social media network that wants to write or read cookies. You have not given permission for this.
Fernando Alonso, Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, they were all at the top at one point, but in the end, it was Lando Norris who sensationally managed to take pole position for the sprint race in the McLaren F1 car, ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso who completed the top three. Max Verstappen had to settle for the fourth fastest time.
More F1 news:
– Mercedes goes all out for Max Verstappen: “He can take a Red Bull top executive with him”– “At a party I bumped into a drunk Michael Schumacher, that was more fun than a collision on the track”– Ferrari team boss Frederic Vasseur is tired of questions about Lewis Hamilton: “Next question!”– Max Verstappen criticizes F1 Academy: “Are we helping women with this?”– “Max Verstappen’s world titles seem to have less value”