After the sprint of the Chinese Grand Prix, there was a sense of surprise in the air, but McLaren, which had been the favorite before the season, made sure that wasn't the case.
Q1 brought a true sea of color, as, with a bit of exaggeration, the entire field reversed course in the top three. McLaren led, followed by Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls, while Lando Norris, Isaac Hadjar, and Yuki Tsunoda ultimately finished this stage at the top. Pierre Gasly, Ollie Bearman, Jack Doohan, Gabriel Bortoleto, and Liam Lawson weren't so lucky and were forced out of the competition. The latter had painful difficulties, and his boss only advised him to avoid social media before qualifying...
In Q2, things played out similarly to the previous session. After a brief Mercedes tussle, McLaren quickly seized the initiative and never let it go. Lando Norris once again proved fastest ahead of Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri, while Esteban Ocon, Nico Hülkenberg, Carlos Sainz, and the two Aston Martin drivers were eliminated.
After the first few fast laps in Q3, we saw the same picture again: the two McLarens at the front, closely followed by Verstappen. At this stage, it was almost obvious that the orange team would take pole position; the only question was which driver would do so with which car. Ultimately, Oscar Piastri managed to cross the finish line first, followed by George Russell and Lando Norris. It was an extremely exciting finish, and we hope this excitement continues into tomorrow's race in China!
Photo: Motorsportweek / PlanetF1
