2025 Chinese Grand Prix – Sprint Qualifying F1 results (Shanghai)

Thomas Maher
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Alex Albon, Williams, 2025 Chinese Grand Prix.

Here are the Sprint qualifying results for the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix.

Here are the complete results from the Sprint Qualifying session at the Shanghai International Circuit for the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton has taken his first ‘pole position’ of his Ferrari career, pipping Max Verstappen by just a hundredth of a second to clinch the top spot in Sprint Qualifying, while McLaren appeared to under-deliver on their potential.

SQ3:

It was an old-school front-row lock-out as 2021 title rivals Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen took first and second places, separated by 0.018 seconds as the Ferrari man came out on top.

Oscar Piastri finished third for McLaren, while Charles Leclerc never looked quite able to match the pace shown by Hamilton as he finished just under two-tenths down on the fastest time.

Fifth went to George Russell’s Mercedes, while Lando Norris was sixth after making errors on both of his flying laps in SQ3 – causing him to abort his final run.

Kimi Antonelli was seventh in the second Mercedes, ahead of Racing Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda, Williams’ Alex Albon, and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll.

  1. 1. Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:30.849
  2. 2. Max Verstappen Red Bull +0.018
  3. 3. Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.080
  4. 4. Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.208
  5. 5. George Russell Mercedes +0.320
  6. 6. Lando Norris McLaren +0.544
  7. 7. Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +0.889
  8. 8. Yuki Tsunoda Racing Bulls +0.924
  9. 9. Alex Albon Williams +1.003
  10. 10. Lance Stroll Aston Martin +1.133

FULL REPORT: Chinese GP: Lewis Hamilton takes Sprint pole with Shanghai lap record

SQ2:

It was Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri who set the pace for most of the 10-minute SQ2 session, leading with a 1-2, before George Russell popped into second place right at the chequered flag, 0.172 down on the McLaren’s time.

Piastri was thus shuffled down to third, a further 0.016 down.

Fourth went to Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari, with the British driver appearing the more comfortable of the two Scuderia drivers as Charles Leclerc could only manage eighth – a further tenth and a half down on his teammate.

With Kimi Antonelli fifth for Mercedes, Max Verstappen was only sixth in the sole Red Bull to make it into SQ2.

Seventh went to Williams’ Alex Albon, with Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll ninth ahead of Racing Bulls’ Yuki Tsunoda – the Japanese driver benefitting from a very helpful tow down the long back straight from his teammate Isack Hadjar.

Hadjar himself was knocked out down in 15th, having had a big slide through the long Turn 1 on his final run.

Joining him on the sidelines were Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso in 11th, Oliver Bearman’s Haas in 12th, Carlos Sainz’s Williams in 13th, and Gabriel Bortoleto in 14th for Sauber.

  1. 1. Lando Norris McLaren 1:31.174
  2. 2. George Russell Mercedes +0.172
  3. 3. Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.188
  4. 4. Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +0.210
  5. 5. Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +0.301
  6. 6. Max Verstappen Red Bull +0.347
  7. 7. Alex Albon Williams +0.365
  8. 8. Charles Leclerc Ferrari  +0.387
  9. 9. Lance Stroll Aston Martin +0.568
  10. 10. Yuki Tsunoda Racing Bulls +0.620
  11. 11. Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +0.641
  12. 12. Oliver Bearman Haas +0.804
  13. 13. Carlos Sainz Williams +1.151
  14. 14. Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber +1.390
  15. 15. Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls No time

SQ1:

The 12-minute SQ1 session saw the drivers peel out on the medium tyre compound, the mandatory choice as set by the regulations for a Sprint weekend.

With near-perfect driving conditions under a hot and sticky sun, the drivers appeared to be enjoying the new tarmac surface as the first times of the session were set.

Lewis Hamilton set the early benchmark after the first runs for most of the frontrunners, before Oscar Piastri demolished that lap to go half a second clear of everyone before Fernando Alonso popped his Aston Martin into second, 0.398 down on Piastri.

On the final runs, Norris overcame Piastri’s time, but it was Hamilton who stunned as he went quickest of all ahead of Norris, while Charles Leclerc underlined Ferrari’s potential by slotting into third ahead of Piastri.

At the other end of the grid, Alpine was knocked out in 16th and 17th as Jack Doohan finished just ahead of Pierre Gasly, while Esteban Ocon was in 18th ahead of Nico Hulkenberg’s Sauber. Liam Lawson brought up the rear of the field in his Red Bull, having struggled with his tyres and also encountering a track limits violation.

  1. 1. Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:31.212
  2. 2. Lando Norris McLaren +0.184
  3. 3. Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.306
  4. 4. Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.511
  5. 5. Max Verstappen Red Bull +0.704
  6. 6. George Russell Mercedes +0.740
  7. 7. Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +0.787
  8. 8. Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +0.909
  9. 9. Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls +0.959
  10. 10. Oliver Bearman Haas +1.057
  11. 11. Yuki Tsunoda Racing Bulls +1.104
  12. 12. Lance Stroll Aston Martin +1.115
  13. 13. Carlos Sainz Williams +1.245
  14. 14. Alex Albon Williams +1.250
  15. 15. Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber +1.327
  16. 16. Jack Doohan Alpine +1.363
  17. 17. Pierre Gasly Alpine +1.428
  18. 18. Esteban Ocon Haas +1.439
  19. 19. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber +1.463
  20. 20. Liam Lawson Red Bull +1.517

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