SHANGHAI-. The British Lando Norris will start on Saturday from the pole position of the sprint race of the Chinese Grand Prix of Formula 1after having achieved the best time in Friday’s classification in Shangaiwith very complicated conditions.
On the Shanghai track, very slippery due to the rain falling on the new track surface, the McLaren driver managed to beat the Mercedes of his compatriot Lewis Hamilton, who will start second in the sprint race on Saturday (03:00 GMT).
The Spanish Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) will start from third position, in parallel with the triple world champion Max Verstappen (Red Bull), current leader of the championship and who will seek a new victory from fourth position.
The Spanish Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) achieved the fifth fastest time, followed by the Mexican Sergio Pérez (Red Bull) and his teammate, the Monegasque Charles Leclerc (7th).
The Chinese Zhou Guanyu (Sauber), a native of Shanghai who led the motorsports elite in 2022, is the first Chinese to compete in Formula 1 in China, and will start from tenth position.
In the sprint race on Saturday, the winner will score eight points for the championship, with the last driver to score points being the eighth-place finisher.
The Chinese Grand Prix is the first of the six races of the season that propose the sprint format, which modifies the usual development of the weekend.
The drivers only had one free practice session on Friday dominated by Canadian Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) before launching into qualifying for Saturday’s sprint race. After that race, the drivers will compete in the “classic” classification that will determine the starting grid for Sunday’s Grand Prix.
— Starting grid for the sprint race of the Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix, 5th round of the season, after qualifying on Friday in Shanghai:
– First line
Lando Norris (GBR/McLaren-Mercedes)
Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes)
– Second line:
Fernando Alonso (ESP/Aston Martin-Mercedes)
Max Verstappen (NED/Red Bull)
– Third line:
Carlos Sainz Jr (ESP/Ferrari)
Sergio Pérez (MEX/Red Bull)
– Fourth line:
Charles Leclerc (MON/Ferrari)
Oscar Piastri (AUS/McLaren-Mercedes)
– Fifth line:
Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Sauber)
Zhou Guanyu (CHN/Sauber-Ferrari)
– Sixth line:
George Russell (GBR/Mercedes)
Kevin Magnussen (DEN/Haas-Ferrari)
– Seventh line:
Nico Hülkenberg (GER/Haas-Ferrari)
Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/Racing Bulls-Red Bull)
– Eighth line:
Lance Stroll (CAN/Aston Martin-Mercedes)
Pierre Gasly (FRA/Alpine-Renault)
– Ninth line:
Esteban Ocon (FRA/Alpine-Renault)
Alexander Albon (THA/Williams-Mercedes)
– Tenth line:
Yuki Tsunoda (JPN/Racing Bulls-Red Bull)
Logan Sargeant (USA/Williams-Mercedes)
Source: AFP
