Oscar Piastri finally gets his moment of redemption—for now. The McLaren driver wins qualifying and secures his maiden pole position for the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday. He was later joined by George Russell, who secured P2 for Mercedes. Piastri’s teammate and Australian Grand Prix winner, Lando Norris, took P3.
Piastri set a 1m 30.703s on his first run in the pole shootout. He then improved to 1m 30.641s, securing P1 over Russell by just under a tenth. Russell gained significant time on his final lap before the chequered flag. He secured a front-row start alongside Piastri. Championship leader Norris had to settle for third place.
Meanwhile, reigning Drivers’ World Champion Max Verstappen took P4 for Red Bull Racing. However, it was not the result Ferrari had hoped for. Despite winning the sprint, Lewis Hamilton could not replicate the same performance in qualifying. He will start P5, followed by his Monegasque teammate, Charles Leclerc, in P6.
After a tough F1 debut in Melbourne, Isack Hadjar bounced back, helping Racing Bulls secure an impressive P7 finish. His teammate, Yuki Tsunoda, ensured a P9 start for tomorrow’s race. Splitting the RB drivers, Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli claimed P8.
How Oscar Piastri Secured His Maiden Pole Position
F1 has repeatedly shown that success comes down to the smallest margins, and Shanghai was no different. Oscar Piastri delivered a brilliant qualifying performance, pushing his car to the limit and narrowly beating George Russell by just 0.082s. With that stunning lap, he secured his first-ever pole position, marking a major milestone in his career.
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After winning the Qualifying, Oscar Piastri said
“I found a lot of pace in Q3. Q1 and Q2 I was genuinely struggling [but] the car came alive, I came alive in Q3”
“The laps were a little bit scruffy but I’m just pumped to be on pole.”
“I want to make sure I keep the clean air [in the race]. I was pretty happy after the Sprint. We did the most we could. I would have been happier with one spot higher, but with how the race turned out I couldn’t have asked for much more.“
“I feel like we learned a lot and I’m looking forward to putting that into use tomorrow”
George Russell delivered Mercedes’ first front-row start of the season. After securing P2, the Briton quoted
“It feels incredible, to be honest. It was one of the hardest Quali sessions I’ve done in a long, long time and I was trying all sorts with my preparation, with the tyres and nothing seemed to be clicking, and did something totally different on my last lap and it just all came alive. The lap was awesome.
“The last one was a bit of a roll of the dice, then I had a big moment at Turn 1 but it just all came together and I was really surprised when I crossed the line.”
“I knew it was a good lap, but to see that I was between the McLarens… just buzzing and looking forward to tomorrow.
“It’s going to be tough. We know the McLarens are going to be quick, but I will be doing everything to try to stay where we are or try and jump ahead of them.”
While missing out on pole was “disappointing” for Lando Norris after his P3 finish, he commended his teammate Oscar Piastri’s victory in qualifying. Norris said
“[I’m] always disappointed if I’m not on pole but Oscar deserved it today,” Norris said after the session. “He’s done a very good job all weekend so [I’m] happy for him – his first pole in Formula 1, so it’s always cool.
“Just a couple of mistakes [on my side] again, it’s kind of been my case this weekend. The car was feeling a bit better. I felt a lot more comfortable with the car so [it was] a step in the right direction, especially from yesterday where I was struggling a lot and even this morning I was struggling a lot, so a much better direction that we’re going in. [I’m] not too disappointed.”
How the Rest of the Grid Fared
For Williams Racing, qualifying was a mixed affair. Alex Albon delivered a solid performance, securing P10 and joining the top ten. However, struggles continued for his teammate Carlos Sainz Jr., as the Spaniard was unable to match the pace of his Thai teammate. Sainz will start P15 on race day.
At Haas, Esteban Ocon put in an impressive effort, making it into Q2 and claiming 11th on the grid. Meanwhile, Nico Hülkenberg, who scored points in Melbourne, managed to put his Kick Sauber in 12th place. He outpaced both Aston Martins, with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll slotting in behind him.
Rookie Struggles Continue on the F1 Grid
The 2025 rookies faced another tough qualifying session, with five of the last six spots on the grid occupied by newcomers. Red Bull Racing’s newly promoted driver, Liam Lawson, struggled the most and will start from last in P20. The Kiwi driver said
“I don’t know how else to put it really, it’s just not good enough.”
It was not a good day at the office for Alpine either, as the French constructor saw their No. 10 driver, Pierre Gasly, finish in P16. His new teammate, Australian rookie Jack Doohan, continued to struggle and will start from P18 on Sunday. Meanwhile, Kick Sauber’s latest Brazilian recruit, Gabriel Bortoleto, will join Lawson on the last row after qualifying P19.
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