F1 Chinese GP LIVE: Lewis Hamilton starts sprint race on pole with arch rival Max Verstappen on front row

Lewis Hamilton landed his first pole position as a Ferrari driver by taking the top spot for Saturday’s sprint race at the Chinese Grand Prix.

The 40-year-old, in only his second appearance for the Italian team, saw off Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by just 0.018 seconds in Shanghai to ensure he will start from the front for the 19-lap dash to the chequered flag.

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri qualified third with Hamilton’s team-mate Charles Leclerc fourth, with the Monegasque acknowledging that he was off the pace compared to his British teammate on Friday.

George Russell took fifth for Mercedes, one place ahead of championship leader Lando Norris, who made a mistake on his final lap. The sprint race, the first shortened race of six this year, takes place at 3am (GMT) on Saturday before grand prix qualifying at 7am (GMT).

Follow live updates of the Chinese Grand Prix with The Independent

F1 CHINESE GRAND PRIX - LATEST UPDATES

The sprint race in China takes place at 3am (GMT) on Saturday morning
Lewis Hamilton claims shock pole for the sprint; Verstappen 2nd; Piastri 3rd
Hamilton admitted he was 'gobsmacked' with his first pole for Ferrari
Click HERE for the top-10 in sprint qualifying
TRIBUTE: Rock-and-roll Eddie Jordan gave Schumacher his debut – and his flamboyance captivated F1’s paddock

Lewis Hamilton on pole for the sprint!

08:16 , Kieran Jackson

Lewis Hamilton - welcome to the Ferrari party!

Hamilton is on pole for the sprint - by 0.018 seconds to Max Verstappen!

3-10: Piastri, Leclerc, Russell, Norris, Antonelli, Tsunoda, Albon, Stroll

Norris made an error on his final lap as he boxed! But what a moment for Hamilton in Shanghai - his first pole for Ferrari!

What are the start times this weekend in China?

10:13 , Kieran Jackson

All times GMT

Saturday 22 March

Sprint race: 3am
Qualifying: 7am

Sunday 23 March

Race: 7am

Max Verstappen after P2:

16:12

“I’m very happy, I do think in the first practice we were quite a bit off, happy to be on the front row.

“We should not have even been on the front row, very happy to be second.

“The balance isn’t massively off, this is good for us and a motivation boost for us.

“I was happy with what I was doing in qualifying. It will be very hard to keep the McLarens behind, we can all race.”

TRIBUTE: Rock-and-roll Eddie Jordan gave Schumacher his debut – and his flamboyance captivated F1’s paddock

15:19 , Kieran Jackson

An old-school Irishman of quick wit and vibrancy, Eddie Jordan was a Formula One figure whose influence touched every corner of motorsport’s most-famed paddock throughout a career in the sport lasting over 30 years.

From a promising race driver and savvy team owner to a captivating broadcaster and erudite manager, Jordan’s sad passing at the age of 76 on Thursday, after a year-long battle with cancer, has sent shockwaves through a sport now in its pomp.

Full tribute below:

Rock-and-roll Eddie Jordan had an Irish flamboyance which captivated F1’s paddock

Lewis Hamilton's pole-setting lap in full:

14:12 , Kieran Jackson

Back on top 🤩

Ride onboard with @LewisHamilton as he flies around the Shanghai International Circuit on his way to #F1Sprint pole 💪#F1 #ChineseGP pic.twitter.com/4TBWH7QjHS
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 21, 2025

Driver Standings after round one:

13:28 , Kieran Jackson

1. Lando Norris - 25 points

2. Max Verstappen - 18 points

3. George Russell - 15 points

4. Kimi Antonelli - 12 points

5. Alex Albon - 10 points

6. Lance Stroll - 8 points

7. Nico Hulkenberg - 6 points

8. Charles Leclerc - 4 points

9. Oscar Piastri - 2 points

10. Lewis Hamilton - 1 point

11. Pierre Gasly - 0 points

12. Yuki Tsunoda - 0 points

14. Ollie Bearman - 0 points

Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur after sprint qualifying:

12:48 , Kieran Jackson

“We are clearly happy with this afternoon’s result. After a difficult qualifying last week in Australia, today’s performance is a boost for the whole team and is definitely very positive, also for Lewis who has been quick throughout the whole day, quickest in SQ1 too.

“Charles was also competitive and with both cars on the front two rows we can aim to bring home plenty of points tomorrow. Clearly the McLarens have great pace both on a single lap and over a longer run.

“We must remain focused and plan how to execute the race down to the smallest detail as tomorrow’s Sprint will provide useful information for Sunday’s Grand Prix.”

Lewis Hamilton on X:

12:15

YUP pic.twitter.com/1KCKPforBG
— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) March 21, 2025

Kimi Antonelli on P7:

11:10 , Kieran Jackson

“On softs, I really struggled, grip was poor. The tyres were too cold, struggled through the whole lap. A better qualifying than Melbourne, we’ll see what we can do tomorrow.

“On medium, was feeling really good.”

George Russell after qualifying P5:

10:54 , Kieran Jackson

“Pretty happy with the lap in Q3, well done to Lewis to get pole, that’s a great lap.

“P5 is where we are today. We always know it’s tricky with the tyres. Today we did OK.

“It was a surprise with McLaren. We’ve got a shot in the sprint, could be an interesting race.”

Liam Lawson after qualifying P20...

10:25 , Kieran Jackson

“I struggled to get the temperatures down, started too hot - it’s frustrating.

“It’s really a shame, we started OK. It’s a shame to be out. We should be a lot further up.”

Oscar Piastri in P3!

09:38 , Kieran Jackson

“Quick at the wrong points, SQ1 and SQ2 felt good - we tried something a bit different but I’m not sure was the best thing in the end, the pace in the car is still very strong - we can fight tomorrow.”

Lewis Hamilton on first Ferrari pole:

09:25 , Kieran Jackson

“I’m a bit gobsmacked and taken aback by it. Didn’t know when we’d get to this position.

“After last weekend, a difficult start to the week. Wanted to go into the weekend with aggression, I had a better feeling in the car - can’t believe we’re at the front!

“I’ve always gone well at this track, maybe it’s the Chinese fans! Definitely wasn’t easy with the tyres, there’s more performance to find for sure.”

San Diego = P1!

09:12 , Kieran Jackson

Lewis Hamilton’s reaction to pole!

Lewis Hamilton's reaction to his pole position in the Sprint Qualifying!#F1 #F1Sprint #ChineseGP pic.twitter.com/Mob3r6PaiA
— Extreme Cars (@extremecars__) March 21, 2025

TOP-10 IN SPRINT QUALIFYING:

09:00 , Kieran Jackson

1. Lewis Hamilton

2. Max Verstappen

3. Oscar Piastri

4. Charles Leclerc

5. George Russell

6. Lando Norris

7. Kimi Antonelli

8. Yuki Tsunoda

9. Alex Albon

10. Lance Stroll

Lando Norris went wide at penultimate turn!

08:40 , Kieran Jackson

Norris looked good for pole - but he went wide off-track at the end of the back straight!

So... just P6 for the championship leader!

Lewis Hamilton - lap record!

08:26

Incidentally, Lewis Hamilton’s pole-setting time of 1:30:849 is now a lap record around the Shanghai International Circuit!

A newly resurfaced track meant a new record was inevitable post-quali - but it’s Hamilton who’s got it!

What a morning for the 40-year-old!

Lewis Hamilton on pole:

08:22 , Kieran Jackson

“Big thank you to the amazing crowd today! I didn’t expect that result, so happy and so proud! The last race was a disaster for us, to come here to a track that I love - Shanghai beautiful place, the car came alive from lap one!

“I’m a bit in shock, pole in the sprint puts us in good stead for the race!”

Lewis Hamilton!

08:16 , Kieran Jackson

“Really! Mega job!”

Lewis Hamilton goes P1!

08:14 , Kieran Jackson

Hamilton goes fastest - but the McLarens go again!

Leclerc P3...

Oscar Piastri on provisional pole!

08:12 , Kieran Jackson

Piastri goes top with a 1:30:929 - five-tenths quicker than Lando Norris, who made a error in the final sector!

Russell 2nd, Norris 3rd, Antonelli 4th.

Other drivers yet to set a time... where are Ferrari then?!

4:00 to go...

SQ3 underway!

08:10

Here we go then - who will be on pole for the sprint?!

10 drivers involved: Norris, Piastri, Hamilton, Leclerc, Verstappen, Stroll, Tsunoda, Albon, Russell, Antonelli

8:00. All on softs. No messing about!

Carlos Sainz out!

08:02 , Kieran Jackson

Sainz out, Albon IN!

Bottom-five and out in SQ2 (11-15): Alonso, Bearman, Sainz, Bortoleto, Hadjar

Yuki Tsunoda squeezes through! Lance Stroll also through!

Top-3: Norris, Russell, Piastri

Fernando Alonso in trouble!

07:58 , Kieran Jackson

Current bottom-five (11-15): Sainz, Stroll, Albon, Alonso, Bearman

2:00 LEFT!

George Russell:

07:56 , Kieran Jackson

“Tyres aren’t working, both axles.”

SQ2 underway!

07:50

10 minutes then for SQ2, where again we will lose the slowest five drivers!

Liam Lawson out in SQ1!

07:46 , Kieran Jackson

Oh Liam!

Plum last for the Kiwi!

“I could not keep the tyres down,” he says. Nightmare for the Red Bull driver!

Bottom five and out in SQ1 (16-20): Doohan, Gasly, Ocon, Hulkenberg, Lawson

Hamilton P1 at the end there! Onto SQ2...

Carlos Sainz in trouble!

07:42 , Kieran Jackson

Current bottom-five (16-20): Tsunoda, Sainz, Bearman, Bortoleto, Ocon

2:00 left!

Oscar Piastri quickest so far!

07:38 , Kieran Jackson

Piastri fastest by half-a-second!

Alonso 2nd, Hamilton 3rd.

Current bottom-five (16-20): Sainz, Bearman, Bortoleto, Ocon, Russell

6:00 left. A reminder: they’re all on medium tyres in this session!

Sprint qualifying underway!

07:32 , Kieran Jackson

Here we go then with SQ1 - 12 minutes where we will lose the slowest five drivers!

This will be quickfire, with a huge queue at the end of the pit-lane ahead of the start of this session!

Sprint qualifying!

07:30 , Kieran Jackson

Sprint qualifying will follow the same Q1-Q2-Q3 format as qualifying but the session times will be shorter than traditional qualifying:

SQ1 (medium tyres) will be 12 minutes, SQ2 (medium tyres) will be 10 minutes and SQ3 (soft tyres) will be eight minutes.

Who will be on pole for the sprint?! We’ll find out in five minutes!

SPRINT WEEKEND FORMAT

07:22 , Kieran Jackson

Friday: Free Practice 1; sprint qualifying (for Saturday’s sprint race)

Saturday: Sprint race (Top-eight receive points, finish order has no impact on grand prix grid); Grand Prix qualifying

Sunday: Grand Prix

How many points are on offer in the sprint race?

P1 - Eight points

P2 - Seven points

P3 - Six points

P4 - Five points

P5 - four points

P6 - three points

P7 - two points

P8 - one point

Charles Leclerc had a spin in FP1!

07:15 , Kieran Jackson

Testing the limits at Turn 1

Charles Leclerc spins off during FP1 😵‍💫#F1 #ChineseGP pic.twitter.com/3E3DUsbY8F
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 21, 2025

FP1 RESULTS - Norris goes fastest

07:02 , Kieran Jackson

Here's how FP1 finished in Shanghai ⤵️#F1 #ChineseGP pic.twitter.com/kRUy1yd48B
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 21, 2025

Ralf Schumacher urges Ferrari to discipline ‘stroppy’ Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc

06:25 , Kieran Jackson

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have come in for criticism from Ralf Schumacher, who urged Ferrari to “give them both a rap on the knuckles” for their attitudes during the Australian Grand Prix.

Both Ferrari cars struggled in the rain during Sunday’s race, with Ferrari opting to keep Hamilton out in the worsening conditions when most of the other cars pitted, and the seven-time champion subsequently lost the race lead when held up by a safety car and pitting afterwards.

The Brit eventually slipped to 10th and there was evident friction between him and his new race engineer, Riccardo Adami, with Hamilton repeatedly telling him to “leave me to it” and swearing over the radio when told of his drop down the rankings having had the chance to win on his debut for the Scuderia.

Full piece below:

Ralf Schumacher urges Ferrari to punish ‘stroppy’ Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc

Lando Norris unbothered about 'favourites' tag

06:02 , Kieran Jackson

"Makes no difference for me at the minute," he insisted, when asked about ‘favourites’ tag.

"I'm not thinking about it. I don't really care about it. It shouldn't change anything I do, it shouldn't change what the team do. I had one good weekend. People need to calm down a little bit!

"No, I stay focused and I try and do the same here this weekend. But yeah, I probably won't even think of the championship until at least halfway through the year "

(Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Lewis Hamilton given brutal dose of Ferrari F1 reality – as full extent of radio messages revealed

05:02 , Kieran Jackson

There’s nothing like racing agony, the reality of a new dawn compared to the high-octane hullaballoo, to wipe out a two-month period of euphoric bliss. Lewis Hamilton arrived in Melbourne visibly joyous ahead of the opening chapter of his Ferrari story.

Three days on, F1’s joint-most successful driver will now be under no illusions regarding the scale of the voyage ahead.

Report from last race in Australia:

Heartwarming moment sees Lewis Hamilton’s dad console F1 rookie after debut crash

04:02 , Kieran Jackson

A touching moment from the last race in Australia!

Lewis Hamilton’s dad Anthony consoled Isack Hadjar in a heartwarming moment in the paddock after the rookie crashed out in a disastrous start to his F1 career.

Torrential rain in Melbourne on Sunday meant very wet conditions for the drivers by the time pole-sitter Lando Norris led the cars round for the formation lap at Albert Park.

Yet French driver Hadjar, 20, who was starting 11th on the grid for Racing Bulls, spun randomly at turn one, with his car propelled into the wall.

Full piece below:

Former Top Gear presenters lead tributes to Formula One ‘legend’ Eddie Jordan

03:02 , Kieran Jackson

Former Top Gear presenters have led the tributes to Eddie Jordan after his death at the age of 76.

Rory Reid described his former co-star as a “legend” while Chris Harris said the former Formula One team owner was a “pure force of nature”.

TV pundit and entrepreneur Jordan, who disclosed in December that he had been diagnosed with cancer, appeared on the BBC motoring show between 2016 and 2018.

Full piece below:

Former Top Gear presenters lead tributes to Formula One ‘legend’ Eddie Jordan

SPRINT RACE - FULL STARTING GRID

16:32 , Kieran Jackson

1. Lewis Hamilton

2. Max Verstappen

3. Oscar Piastri

4. Charles Leclerc

5. George Russell

6. Lando Norris

7. Kimi Antonelli

8. Yuki Tsunoda

9. Alex Albon

10. Lance Stroll

11. Fernando Alonso

12. Ollie Bearman

13. Carlos Sainz

14. Gabriel Bortoleto

15. Isack Hadjar

16. Jack Doohan

17. Pierre Gasly

18. Esteban Ocon

19. Nico Hulkenberg

20. Ollie Bearman

Jake Humphrey's tribute to Eddie Jordan:

Thursday 20 March 2025 23:14 , Kieran Jackson

Jake Humphrey, a friend and colleague of Eddie Jordan, told a story of the former Formula 1 team owner on BBC Radio 5 Live.

He said: "We will never see the likes of Eddie Jordan ever again. I remember him telling me a story once, this is in the days before everything was televised, he had two sponsors.

“He needed the money from both the sponsors to keep the team going so he put one sponsor on one side of the track, one sponsor on the other. Neither of them saw the full car, he put one sponsor on one side and the other on the other.

“So as the car comes down the straight he said 'look at that car covered in your branding. He was running between the two sponsors, neither of them aware there was another sponsor on the other side. Just to get through.”

Jordan (right) was later a popular pundit on BBC's coverage of Formula 1 alongside Jake Humphrey (left) and David Coulthard (centre) (Getty Images)

George Russell on McLaren's car this year:

Thursday 20 March 2025 21:30 , Kieran Jackson

Russell said of McLaren before this weekend's Chinese Grand Prix: "Their car should win every race but I don't think they will win every race this year. Let's see.

"The gap they have this year on everybody is bigger than Red Bull has ever had.

“But when Max was in that [2023] car he was pretty reliable every single lap he did, every single run in Q3, throughout qualifying, never really a question."

SPRINT WEEKEND FORMAT

Thursday 20 March 2025 21:10

Friday: Free Practice 1; sprint qualifying (for Saturday’s sprint race)

Saturday: Sprint race (Top-eight receive points, finish order has no impact on grand prix grid); Grand Prix qualifying

Sunday: Grand Prix

How many points are on offer in the sprint race?

P1 - Eight points

P2 - Seven points

P3 - Six points

P4 - Five points

P5 - four points

P6 - three points

P7 - two points

P8 - one point

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