F1 China qualifying: Verstappen pole, Ferrari sixth and seventh, Hamilton eighteenth

Journalist

April 20, 2024 (changed at 11:19 am) – MILAN

Qualifying without the unknown of rain and everything was back in the hands of Max Verstappen. The Red Bull world champion, after walking in the morning’s Sprint, completed his day as a star by taking pole position for the Chinese GP which will take place tomorrow. It is pole number 5 out of 5 races in 2024, number 37 of his career. Nothing to say, there was none for anyone. Red Bull once again seemed to be the fastest car, with Verstappen giving 3 tenths of a second to Perez and 488 thousandths to the first rival car, Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin, third. Then half a second behind the McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. If the Red Bulls were to also confirm the best tire management ability seen so far, tomorrow’s race could be a triumphal ride.

well done perez

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Well done Sergio Perez to confirm himself after the Sprint podium behind Lewis Hamilton. The Mexican will start alongside his teammate, who Red Bull is asking him to do consistently to grant him a contract renewal. The Ferraris are back instead. Charles Leclerc is sixth, Carlos Sainz seventh, who in the middle of Q2, due to a spin at the last corner, lost control of his SF-24 hitting the barriers with the right side of the car. Back in the pits, the Ferrari mechanics put the car back together, allowing him to enter Q3.

Hamilton disappointment

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After what we saw in the morning Sprint, the hope is that the SF-24s will confirm their superiority over their opponents over the long distance in order to be able to move upstream and annoy the Red Bulls. Mercedes are still not in the game, with George Russell eighth and Lewis Hamilton who did not repeat his good performance in the Sprint (in which he finished second) and was even eliminated in Q1. Tomorrow the future Ferrari driver will start only 18th.

times

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These are the qualifying times for the Chinese GP:

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• 1. Verstappen (Red Bull) 1’33″660
• 2. Perez (Red Bull) 1’33″982
• 3. Alonso (Aston Martin) 1’34″148
• 4. Norris (McLaren) 1’34″165
• 5. Plates (McLaren) 1’34″273
• 6. Leclerc (Ferrari) 1’34″289
• 7. Sainz (Ferrari) 1’34″297
• 8. Russell (Mercedes) 1’34″433
• 9. Hulkenberg (Haas) 1’34″604
• 10. Bottas (Sauber) 1’34″665
• 11. Stroll (Aston Martin) 1’34″838
• 12. Ricciardo (RB) 1’34″934
• 13. Ocon (Alpine) 1’35″223
• 14. Albon (Williams) 1’35″241
• 15. Gasly (Alpine) 1’35″463
• 16. Zhou (Sauber) 1’35″505
• 17. Magnussen (Haas) 1’35″516
• 18. Hamilton (Mercedes) 1’35″573
• 19. Tsunoda (RB) 1’35″746
• 20. Sargeant (Williams) 1’36″358