McLaren’s Oscar Piastri performed sensationally in qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix, clinching the first pole position of his Formula 1 career in style, and setting a new track record.
The Australian outpaced the field by 82 thousandths of a second, edging out George Russell, who pulled out a last-gasp lap to secure second for Mercedes, just ahead of Piastri’s teammate Lando Norris, who will start from third.
Max Verstappen, who will line up alongside Norris on the second row, was just 0.176 seconds off pole. Meanwhile, the third row features a full Ferrari-powered pairing: Lewis Hamilton, fresh off a brilliant victory in the Sprint earlier in the day, starts fifth, with Charles Leclerc just behind in sixth.
Standout performances and rookie appearances
The fourth row sees two impressive rookies: Isack Hadjar in the VISA Cash App Racing Bulls car (+0.438) and Andrea Kimi Antonelli in the Mercedes (+0.462), both showing maturity and pace in their debut Shanghai qualifying session. Hadjar’s team was, however, handed a €5,000 fine for an unsafe release in the pit lane involving Verstappen.
Just behind them, Yuki Tsunoda (+0.997) and Alexander Albon (+1.065) round out the top 10.
Midfield and back of the grid
Esteban Ocon was the first to miss out in Q2, placing him 11th on the grid with Nico Hülkenberg alongside him in 12th. The Aston Martins of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll fill the seventh row in matching green, while Carlos Sainz, struggling again compared to teammate Leclerc, will start 15th alongside Pierre Gasly, whose Alpine continues to lack pace.
Oliver Bearman starts 17th in the second Haas-Ferrari, just ahead of Alpine’s Jack Doohan. The final row is occupied by Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) and Liam Lawson, whose form has dipped dramatically compared to his promising performances in late 2023 and early 2024.
The stage is set for a thrilling Grand Prix in Shanghai, with McLaren on the front foot and several rookies looking to make their mark on race day.
