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Autosport

Sport

F1 Chinese GP: Norris takes sprint pole in chaotic dry-to-wet qualifying

Mercedes Red Bull Ferrari L Norris Aston Martin F Alonso Lando Norris O Piastri Red Bull Racing D Ricciardo

Rain emerged at the end of the SQ2 session and continued to pepper the Shanghai circuit during the intermission, necessitating the use of intermediate tyres for the final stage of qualifying to decide pole.

Track conditions were evidently very slippery, as a number of drivers over-extended beyond the circuit's environs and had to recover from the run-off; Charles Leclerc hit the wall after spinning on the exit of Turn 8, but was able to gather up his Ferrari and stopped for a new front wing and warmer, fresher intermediates.

Oscar Piastri got the session off with a lap above the two-minute mark, which was beaten by Sergio Perez, as the Red Bull driver led the line to begin with.

Fernando Alonso then supplanted the Mexican, posting a 2m00.213s to ensure he could factor in the fight for pole, but this was subsequently beaten by the first sub-two-minute lap from Lewis Hamilton, who claimed a 1m59.321s.

Norris had gone off on the lap prior to a mighty 1m57.940s, which had thrust the Briton into provisional pole, but this was then subject to an unexplained deletion.

Hamilton thus looked in line for pole and a 1m59.201s follow-up appeared to cement that, but Norris' time was reinstated and ensured an all-British front row for Saturday's sprint race.

Alonso was third fastest over Max Verstappen, who endured a number of wayward moments before finally stitching a clean lap together with his final effort of the session.

Carlos Sainz and Perez locked out the third row ahead of Leclerc, who recovered enough to set a time, while Piastri could only manage eighth fastest. The two Saubers of Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu completed the top 10.

The start of SQ2 faced a minor delay as, like FP1, the grass lining the circuit spontaneously combusted and needed to be extinguished. With rain due, the drivers got their elbows out when the pit exit light eventually went green to preserve track position, although neither Red Bull fancied joining the skirmish.

Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38 (Photo by: Mark Sutton)

George Russell dropped to 11th when the times had shaken out and, despite opting to go for another lap, the rain finally emerged and sapped at his time in the opening sector.

He was six tenths adrift of Zhou's cut-off benchmark and had to abandon his effort to purloin the Chinese driver's SQ3 berth - sending the home crowd into audible raptures.

Kevin Magnussen outqualified Haas team-mate Nico Hulkenberg as the two took 12th and 13th on the sprint race grid, while Daniel Ricciardo and free practice leader Lance Stroll also fell short on their single flying laps.

Spots of rain were evident in SQ1, although appeared to have little effect on the times escalating throughout the first stage of sprint qualifying.

Russell staged a late escape from the elimination zone in SQ1 having dropped to the bottom of the order, finding three tenths in the final sector over the cut-off time from Pierre Gasly to squeak through into the next round.

This dumped Gasly into the bottom five, ensuring that he joined Alpine team-mate Esteban Ocon in being eliminated in the opening stage of the session.

Alex Albon dropped out in 18th, the two Williams drivers split by Yuki Tsunoda as Logan Sargeant was bottom of the pile at the chequered flag.

Tsunoda had not been able to set a somewhat representative time until his final run, but could not find enough in hand to join RB team-mate Ricciardo into SQ2 as he struggled with a lap of grip.

F1 Chinese GP sprint qualifying results

SQ3

1 - 2
Cla	Driver	#	Chassis	Engine	Laps	Time	Interval	km/h
1	L. Norris McLaren	4	McLaren	Mercedes	5	1'57.940		166.386
2	L. Hamilton Mercedes	44	Mercedes	Mercedes	5	+1.261 1'59.201	1.261	164.626
3	F. Alonso Aston Martin Racing	14	Aston Martin	Mercedes	5	+1.975 1'59.915	0.714	163.645
4	M. Verstappen Red Bull Racing	1	Red Bull	Red Bull	5	+2.088 2'00.028	0.113	163.491
5	C. Sainz Ferrari	55	Ferrari	Ferrari	5	+2.274 2'00.214	0.186	163.238
6	S. Perez Red Bull Racing	11	Red Bull	Red Bull	5	+2.435 2'00.375	0.161	163.020
7	C. Leclerc Ferrari	16	Ferrari	Ferrari	5	+2.626 2'00.566	0.191	162.762
8	O. Piastri McLaren	81	McLaren	Mercedes	5	+3.050 2'00.990	0.424	162.191
9	V. Bottas Sauber	77	Sauber	Ferrari	5	+3.104 2'01.044	0.054	162.119
10	Z. Guanyu Sauber	24	Sauber	Ferrari	5	+5.597 2'03.537	2.493	158.847
View full results

SQ2

1 - 2
Cla	Driver	#	Chassis	Engine	Laps	Time	Interval	km/h
1	M. Verstappen Red Bull Racing	1	Red Bull	Red Bull	3	1'35.606		205.254
2	C. Leclerc Ferrari	16	Ferrari	Ferrari	4	+0.105 1'35.711	0.105	205.029
3	S. Perez Red Bull Racing	11	Red Bull	Red Bull	3	+0.175 1'35.781	0.070	204.879
4	O. Piastri McLaren	81	McLaren	Mercedes	3	+0.247 1'35.853	0.072	204.725
5	L. Norris McLaren	4	McLaren	Mercedes	3	+0.441 1'36.047	0.194	204.312
6	C. Sainz Ferrari	55	Ferrari	Ferrari	4	+0.446 1'36.052	0.005	204.301
7	V. Bottas Sauber	77	Sauber	Ferrari	4	+0.450 1'36.056	0.004	204.293
8	F. Alonso Aston Martin Racing	14	Aston Martin	Mercedes	3	+0.513 1'36.119	0.063	204.159
9	L. Hamilton Mercedes	44	Mercedes	Mercedes	4	+0.681 1'36.287	0.168	203.803
10	Z. Guanyu Sauber	24	Sauber	Ferrari	4	+0.701 1'36.307	0.020	203.760
11	G. Russell Mercedes	63	Mercedes	Mercedes	4	+0.739 1'36.345	0.038	203.680
12	K. Magnussen Haas F1 Team	20	Haas	Ferrari	4	+0.867 1'36.473	0.128	203.410
13	N. Hulkenberg Haas F1 Team	27	Haas	Ferrari	4	+0.872 1'36.478	0.005	203.399
14	D. Ricciardo RB	3	RB	Red Bull	3	+0.947 1'36.553	0.075	203.241
15	L. Stroll Aston Martin Racing	18	Aston Martin	Mercedes	3	+1.071 1'36.677	0.124	202.981
View full results

SQ1

1 - 2
Cla	Driver	#	Chassis	Engine	Laps	Time	Interval	km/h
1	S. Perez Red Bull Racing	11	Red Bull	Red Bull	4	1'36.110		204.178
2	L. Norris McLaren	4	McLaren	Mercedes	5	+0.274 1'36.384	0.274	203.598
3	M. Verstappen Red Bull Racing	1	Red Bull	Red Bull	4	+0.346 1'36.456	0.072	203.446
4	C. Leclerc Ferrari	16	Ferrari	Ferrari	6	+0.427 1'36.537	0.081	203.275
5	O. Piastri McLaren	81	McLaren	Mercedes	7	+0.432 1'36.542	0.005	203.264
6	C. Sainz Ferrari	55	Ferrari	Ferrari	6	+0.609 1'36.719	0.177	202.892
7	F. Alonso Aston Martin Racing	14	Aston Martin	Mercedes	6	+0.773 1'36.883	0.164	202.549
8	N. Hulkenberg Haas F1 Team	27	Haas	Ferrari	6	+0.814 1'36.924	0.041	202.463
9	L. Stroll Aston Martin Racing	18	Aston Martin	Mercedes	5	+0.851 1'36.961	0.037	202.386
10	K. Magnussen Haas F1 Team	20	Haas	Ferrari	6	+0.923 1'37.033	0.072	202.236
11	V. Bottas Sauber	77	Sauber	Ferrari	7	+1.002 1'37.112	0.079	202.071
12	L. Hamilton Mercedes	44	Mercedes	Mercedes	6	+1.071 1'37.181	0.069	201.928
13	G. Russell Mercedes	63	Mercedes	Mercedes	6	+1.200 1'37.310	0.129	201.660
14	D. Ricciardo RB	3	RB	Red Bull	6	+1.211 1'37.321	0.011	201.637
15	Z. Guanyu Sauber	24	Sauber	Ferrari	7	+1.434 1'37.544	0.223	201.176
16	P. Gasly Alpine	10	Alpine	Renault	6	+1.522 1'37.632	0.088	200.995
17	E. Ocon Alpine	31	Alpine	Renault	6	+1.610 1'37.720	0.088	200.814
18	A. Albon Williams	23	Williams	Mercedes	6	+1.702 1'37.812	0.092	200.625
19	Y. Tsunoda RB	22	RB	Red Bull	6	+1.782 1'37.892	0.080	200.461
20	L. Sargeant Williams	2	Williams	Mercedes	6	+1.813 1'37.923	0.031	200.398
View full results