After the only practice session, it looked like McLaren would lock out the front row for the first sprint race at the Chinese GP. Following the opening two sessions, McLaren still looked dominant while on the medium tyre.
However, when it came to the pole position shoot-out, it was the scarlet red Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton who set the fastest time, with rival Max Verstappen joining him on the front row. McLaren struggled on the soft tyre in SQ3, but do they remain favourites to take victory in the sprint?
McLaren still favourite despite poor qualifying for Chinese GP sprint race
It was a shock for Ferrari and Red Bull to lock out the front row. McLaren was looking imperious in practice with Lando Norris almost half a second clear of the field. However, in SQ3, Norris was half a second down on Hamilton’s pole time. The McLarens couldn’t switch on the soft tyres and Norris even locked up into the turn 14 hairpin, costing him precious time.
This left the mouthwatering prospect of Lewis Hamilton battling Max Verstappen off the line. The two drivers were the main protagonists during a fierce battle for the 2021 title. The two clashed on many occasions that season and even though hostilities have died down, they both try and get the upper hand on each other while fighting on track.
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They both have the difficult task of keeping the McLarens behind them. Norris and Piastri were quick on the medium sets, the favoured tyre for the sprint race. Piastri is still confident of a good result, starting from P3. He said: “I think the pace in the car is still very strong and I’m still confident to fight from third tomorrow.”
McLaren are still favourites going into the sprint tomorrow. However, the skill of the drivers locking out the front row will make winning a difficult task. While the Woking-based team has the fastest car, they need to take full advantage before others catch up.
Who is leading the midfield fight in the Chinese GP sprint?
The fight for the P8 and the final point looks to be between Williams and Racing Bulls. They look evenly matched on pace and with Albon starting in P9 just behind Yuki Tsunoda, this will be the key battle in the middle of the pack.
However, we are still awaiting whether Williams will be able to race. They will have a hearing with the stewards on Saturday morning after they failed to deliver footage of their wings within an hour of practice finishing. If found guilty, a possible punishment could be disqualification from the sprint race.
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That would leave Racing Bulls fighting the Aston Martin’s who start just behind Tsunoda. However, the Racing Bulls’ race pace looks faster than the Green team so should be able to hold them off.
The outlier on the grid is Liam Lawson. He qualified his Red Bull in the last position and didn’t look quick during the practice session. This sprint race has turned into a practice session for the Kiwi, however with nothing to lose, he could prove pivotal in the fight for the final points positions.
