Chinese GP qualifying results: Piastri Secures Maiden F1 Pole
Chinese GP qualifying results: Piastri Secures Maiden F1 Pole

Summary

Oscar Piastri clinched his maiden Formula 1 pole position at the Chinese GP Qualifying, edging out George Russell and Lando Norris in a thrilling session. The McLaren driver delivered a stunning 1m 30.641s lap to take P1, with Russell just 0.082s behind. Max Verstappen settled for fourth, while Ferrariโ€™s Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc followed in P5 and P6.

NEW DELHI: Chinese GP Qualifying Results saw Oscar Piastri narrowly edge out Mercedesโ€™ George Russell and McLaren teammate Lando Norris to secure his first-ever Formula 1 pole position at the Chinese Grand Prix.

 

Piastri set a time of 1m 30.703s on the opening runs of the decisive pole shootout and improved to 1m 30.641s with his second effort, giving him P1 over Russell by just under a tenth of a second.

 

Russell put in a strong lap to grab P2, while championship leader Norris settled for P3Reigning four-time World Champion Max Verstappen took P4, followed by Ferrariโ€™s Lewis Hamilton in P5 and Charles Leclerc in P6.

 

ALSO READ: Hamiltonโ€™s first Ferrari win: sprint victory in China

 

A standout performance from Racing Bullsโ€™ Isack Hadjar secured him P7, with Kimi Antonelli (P8), Yuki Tsunoda (P9), and Alex Albon (P10) rounding out the Chinese GP Qualifying Results top 10.

Chinese GP Qualifying Results: Top 10

 

  1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) โ€“ 1:30.641
  2. George Russell (Mercedes) โ€“ 1:30.723
  3. Lando Norris (McLaren) โ€“ 1:30.793
  4. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) โ€“ 1:30.817
  5. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) โ€“ 1:30.927
  6. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) โ€“ 1:31.021
  7. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) โ€“ 1:31.079
  8. Antonio Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) โ€“ 1:31.103
  9. Yuki Tsunoda (Racing Bulls) โ€“ 1:31.638
  10. Alex Albon (Williams) โ€“ 1:31.706

Q1 โ€“ Norris Fastest, Lawson Out Early Again

 

Norris and McLaren set the pace at the start of Saturdayโ€™s Qualifying session
Norris and McLaren set the pace at the start of Saturdayโ€™s Qualifying session

 

After an exciting Sprint Qualifying session and Hamiltonโ€™s impressive Sprint race victory, attention shifted to Chinese GP Qualifying Results, which determined the final race grid.

 

All 20 drivers started on soft tyres, and Piastri initially led with 1m 31.591s. However, Verstappen later set a quicker 1m 31.424s.

 

A strong performance from Racing Bullsโ€™ Tsunoda and Hadjar saw them finish Q1 in P4 and P5, while Albon (P6) and Bearman (P7) also impressed.

 

Norris was the last driver to post a time, securing P7, while Leclerc (P13) struggled and faced elimination threats.

 

The final Q1 eliminations were:
Lawson, Ocon, Gasly, Sainz, and Doohan.

 

Q2 โ€“ Norris Lays Down a Marker

 

The fight for Chinese GP Qualifying Results intensified in Q2, with Norris clocking the fastest time (1m 30.787s), over half a second ahead of Piastri.

 

Verstappen took P3, followed by Russell (P4), Tsunoda (P5), and Antonelli (P6).

 

Ferrariโ€™s Hamilton (P7) and Leclerc (P8) secured their spots in Q3, while Albon (P9) and Hulkenberg (P10) also made it through.

 

The drivers eliminated in Q2:
Stroll, Ocon, Hadjar, Alonso, and Sainz.

 

Q3 โ€“ Piastri Pips Russell and Norris

 

When Q3 began, Verstappen set the first benchmark at 1m 30.925s, but Norris quickly responded with a 1m 30.793s.

 

However, Piastri stunned the grid with a 1m 30.703s, ultimately improving to 1m 30.641s, securing his first-ever pole position in Chinese GP Qualifying Results.

 

Top 3Piastri (P1), Russell (P2), Norris (P3)
Sprint winner Hamilton finished P5, with Leclerc in P6
Hadjar (P7) and Tsunoda (P9) impressed for Racing Bulls

 

A pit lane incident involving Hadjar and Verstappen will be reviewed by stewards.

 

Driver Reactions to Chinese GP Qualifying Results

 

Oscar Piastri (Pole Position, McLaren)

โ€œIn Q3, I just found a lot of pace โ€“ Q1 and Q2 I was struggling. The car just came alive, and I think I came alive. Iโ€™m pumped to be on pole.โ€

 

George Russell (P2, Mercedes)

โ€œOne of the hardest qualifying sessions Iโ€™ve done. I had a big moment at Turn One, but to be between the McLarensโ€ฆ Iโ€™m buzzing for tomorrow.โ€

 

Lando Norris (P3, McLaren)

โ€œOscar deserves it. He did a very good job. I made a couple of mistakes, but I feel much more comfortable in the car now.โ€

 

Max Verstappen (P4, Red Bull)

โ€œIt was tricky. We were quick, but not quick enough for pole today.โ€

 

Lewis Hamilton (P5, Ferrari)

โ€œThe car was really hard to drive today. It wasnโ€™t hugging the road.โ€

 

Charles Leclerc (P6, Ferrari)

โ€œWe maximized our performance, but we need to understand where the carโ€™s potential has gone.โ€