After 5 years, the Shanghai circuit which hosts the Chinese Grand Prix is back on the calendar. Today, after the sprint which saw Max Verstappen triumph and followed by a rediscovered Lewis Hamilton, qualifying for Sunday's race took place. The front row is occupied like dejavu by Max Verstappen on pole and Sergio Perez. Followed by Fernando Alonso.
Chinese GP Qualifying: Q1
Il Q1 qualifying in Shanghai begins with some harmless squabbles at Ferrari. The two drivers, returning from a hard-fought last lap during the Sprint, opened debates among the fans on who was right between a close defense by the Madrilenian and the overtaking by the Monegasque.
In the first laps, Sergio Perez undergoes an obvious impeding da Alexander albon which makes the Mexican go off track. The FIA, however, following an investigation, deems the action null and void, choosing not to give any penalties. In the meantime we can witness the best Sauber of the season on this somewhat difficult circuit for the drivers. It had not been driven on for 5 years and to make the situation worse, the bitumen used to bind the old asphalt and not cause damage. From 2025 further improvement works will be carried out.
Ferrari put into difficulty in this qualifying session, like the entire weekend held so far. Charles Leclerc still hasn't found a way to get his tires up to temperature, thus struggling to perform in the first sector. So if last weekend the Ferrari – McLaren gap was further away, today - with such performances - we can observe a notable rapprochement from the papaya team.
Logan sargeant gives a quick yellow flag for the gravel maneuver a few minutes from the end. Charles Leclerc manages to qualify second.
Eliminated from Q1 of the Chinese GP qualifying: Zhou – Magnussen – Hamilton (unlike the beautiful sprint carried out just a few hours earlier) – Tsunoda and Sargeant.
Q2: fear at Ferrari, Sainz spins
The new fund in the French team seems to be having an effect, giving us aAlpine qualified with both cars in Q2, something that has never happened since the start of the 2024 season.
Charles Leclerc uses a set of used soft tyres, wanting to save 2 new ones for the race and 1 for Q3, which however, as we will see, will be of little use. The stablemate, with lap management totally different from number 16 (better), is unable to finish the lap which would have certainly brought him to the front rows as the curb causes the rear wheels to slip, causing the Madrilenian's car to spin. There Red flag and cleaning the track from the gravel, gives Ferrari 6 minutes to fix the front wing of car 55. They manage to set 2nd and 3rd best times.
- eliminated from Q2 of the Chinese GP: Stroll – Ricciardo- Ocon – Albon – Gasly
Max on pole, McLaren second in qualifying, Ferrari disappointment
If on the one hand we have Max, always unreachable even when he complains of problems with the car (for example the battery in the sprint), on the other hand we have teams fighting for second place, sharing the front row with him.
Every lap, every improvement, brought a battle for second place first conquered by the two Ferraris, subsequently stolen by both McLarens and then left to his teammate. For the Red Bull and the 100th complete front row in history. There second row it is animated by a super's Aston Martin Fernando Alonso and McLaren's Lando Norris.
The fatal point for Sainz's Q2 is also touched upon by Oscar piastri who, however, fortunately does not turn the car.
To close the fourth row è George Russell behind Carlos Sainz. There Q3 grid concludes with Hulkenberg e Bottas in 9th and 10th position.
