Lewis Hamilton admitted it was a shock to claim pole position, his first for Ferrari, in qualifying for the sprint race at the Chinese Grand Prix. After being off the pace at the season’s opening round in Australia, Hamilton delivered an immense lap for the Scuderia in Shanghai to see off Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by just two-hundredths of a second.
Hamilton could manage only 10th in Melbourne in changeable conditions and as he adjusted to working with his new team. However, in under a week, he and Ferrari unlocked the pace they insisted was still fundamental to the car, with a stunning lap for the first sprint race of the season.
