Lewis Hamilton’s hopes for a stellar qualifying performance at the Chinese Grand Prix were dashed as he faced an unexpected setback in Q1. The Mercedes ace found himself ousted from contention for the top spots and relegated to the 18th position on the starting grid.
Hamilton’s misfortune unfolded when he veered wide at Turn 14 during his final qualifying lap, narrowly missing the mark by less than a tenth of a second. This error proved costly, leaving him with a disappointing starting position for Sunday’s race.
Earlier in the day, Hamilton had displayed promising form during the sprint race, briefly leading the pack for nine laps before ultimately finishing in second place behind Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing. Despite this strong showing, his qualifying woes cast a shadow over his prospects for the main event.
Adding to the drama, local favorite Zhou Guanyu also suffered a setback in Q1, marking a challenging start to his inaugural home grand prix as he secured the 16th spot on the grid.
Meanwhile, Logan Sargeant’s struggles in qualifying persisted, extending a streak of disappointment that began at the onset of his Formula 1 career last season.
Sargeant, yet to outpace his teammate Alex Albon in qualifying, encountered further frustration with a spin on his final qualifying lap, triggering yellow flags and relegating him to the back of the grid.
Joining Hamilton, Zhou, and Sargeant in the list of Q1 casualties were Kevin Magnussen and Yuki Tsunoda, who also failed to progress beyond the opening segment of qualifying during the sprint session.
Their inability to advance further highlighted the fierce competition and unforgiving nature of Formula 1 racing.
