Max Verstappen secured Red Bull’s 100th pole position at the Chinese Grand Prix, while Lewis Hamilton faced an unexpected early exit in Q1.
Verstappen continued his exceptional streak by clinching his sixth consecutive pole position, setting a new personal best. His impressive performance not only marked his achievement but also represented a significant milestone for Red Bull, marking their 100th pole position in Formula 1 history.
The Dutch driver was in a league of his own during qualifying at the Shanghai International Circuit, being the sole driver to break the 1:33 barrier. This remarkable feat extended Verstappen’s pole position streak, which commenced at the 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
His 37th career pole position also distinguished him as the first driver in the 21st century to secure pole position in the first five races of a season, a feat previously achieved by Mika Hakkinen in 1999 for McLaren.
Verstappen’s pole position at the Chinese GP comes 15 years after Sebastian Vettel claimed Red Bull’s inaugural pole position at the same circuit in 2009.
With this achievement, Red Bull joins an elite group of constructors, becoming only the sixth team to reach triple figures in pole positions, following Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes, Williams, and Lotus.
His blistering lap time of 1:33.660 cemented his place in history, with teammate Sergio Perez securing a Red Bull one-two for the second consecutive race. Fernando Alonso claimed third position, followed by sprint pole winner Lando Norris.
However, the qualifying session saw a surprising early exit for Lewis Hamilton, who qualified in 18th place, along with local favorite Zhou Guanyu, who finished 16th. Verstappen’s first attempt in Q3 saw him clocking a time of 1:33.977, despite a minor error on the back-straight.
However, this was sufficient to secure a provisional pole ahead of Alonso and Perez. In his second run, Verstappen improved his time by 0.317s, setting a blistering lap of 1:33.660. This stellar performance solidified his pole position, with Perez securing second place on the grid.
In Q2, Carlos Sainz suffered a crash at the final corner, resulting in a red flag. Despite the setback, he managed to repair his Ferrari and secure third place, with teammate Charles Leclerc in fourth. Lance Stroll was narrowly bumped out of the top 10 by Valtteri Bottas, relegating him to 11th place.
Hamilton’s elimination in Q1 came as a surprise, with his final lap only securing 12th place on the grid. A lock-up at Turn 14 hampered his performance, resulting in his elimination by less than a tenth of a second. Despite a close call, Perez managed to survive and advance to the next qualifying session.
The final grid saw Verstappen topping Q3 with a time of 1:34.742, setting the stage for an exciting race at the Chinese Grand Prix.
