Max Verstappen continued his pole position run in the Chinese Grand Prix qualifying, while Lewis Hamilton experienced a shock early exit

Max Verstappen followed up his Sprint victory with another stellar performance, securing his sixth pole position in a row for Red Bull at the Chinese Grand Prix. Meanwhile, his rival Lewis Hamilton experienced a stark contrast in fortunes, as he unexpectedly qualified 18th after an early exit in the qualifying session.

This turn of events came after an exhilarating Sprint race, where Verstappen and Hamilton had finished first and second, setting the stage for an intense main race on Sunday. The Shanghai International Circuit bore witness to the dramatic twists and turns of the day, with Verstappen’s dominance clear in the qualifying session.

Not only did Verstappen extend his pole streak at the start of the 2024 season to five, but he also achieved a career-best sequence of six overall pole positions. This achievement was further highlighted by a front-row lockout for Red Bull, with Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez securing the second position on the grid.

In a surprising turn, Hamilton’s Q1 exit came after a crucial mistake at the hairpin on his final attempt. Consequently, he found himself starting from the penultimate row on the grid, marking a significant setback for the seasoned driver.

Among the noteworthy performances, Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin briefly threatened Red Bull’s front-row lockout, holding a provisional second place after the initial Q3 runs. However, Perez ultimately edged ahead of Alonso, relegating him to a still impressive third position.

Lando Norris of McLaren, who had secured pole in wet conditions for the Sprint on Friday, delivered a strong performance, finishing fourth ahead of his teammate Oscar Piastri. However, Ferrari continued to struggle, with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz qualifying in the sixth and seventh positions respectively.

Sainz faced further adversity during the session, as he crashed at the final corner in Q2, leading to a red flag. Despite this setback, he managed to return to the pits for repairs, sparking a post-session protest from Aston Martin, which was subsequently dismissed.

In the midst of the intense competition, George Russell of Mercedes secured the eighth position, while Nico Hulkenberg of Haas and Valtteri Bottas of Sauber impressed by clinching ninth and tenth places respectively. Bottas’ achievement was particularly notable as it marked his first Q3 appearance of the season.

Although Daniel Ricciardo’s quest for a top-10 berth in 2024 continued, he showcased a commendable performance in China, outqualifying his Red Bull teammate Yuki Tsunoda for both the Sprint and the Grand Prix. Ricciardo, who utilized a new chassis for the weekend, claimed the 12th position, while Tsunoda faced frustration, ending up in 19th place.

Chinese GP Qualifying Timesheet

Driver	Team	Time
1) Max Verstappen	Red Bull	1:33.660
2) Sergio Perez	Red Bull	+0.322
3) Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	+0.488
4) Lando Norris	McLaren	+0.505
5) Oscar Piasti	McLaren	+0.613
6) Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+0.629
7) Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	+0.637
8) George Russell	Mercedes	+0.773
9) Nico Hulkenberg	Haas	+0.944
10) Valtteri Bottas	Sauber	+1.005
Knocked out in Q2
11) Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	1:34.838
12) Daniel Ricciardo	RB	1:34.934
13) Esteban Ocon	Alpine	1:35.223
14) Alex Albon	Williams	1:35.241
15) Pierre Gasly	Alpine	1:35.463
Knocked out in Q1
16) Zhou Guanyu	Sauber	1:35.505
17) Kevin Magnussen	Haas	1:35.516
18) Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	1:35.573
19) Yuki Tsunoda	RB	1:35.746
20) Logan Sargeant	Williams	1:36.358