ISTANBUL

Lewis Hamilton on Friday secured his first pole position for Ferrari, setting a new circuit record in sprint qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix.

The seven-time world champion edged Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by just 0.018 seconds with a time of 1:30.849, while McLaren’s Oscar Piastri completed the top three at the Shanghai International Circuit, securing the front row for Saturday’s 19-lap sprint.

Hamilton, 40, who struggled in his Ferrari debut in Melbourne, expressed surprise at the result. "I'm a bit in shock. I can't believe we got a pole in the sprint," he said.

"It's not the main race, so we have some work to do for tomorrow," he added.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Mercedes' George Russell finished fourth and fifth, ahead of Lando Norris, who was forced to abort his final flying lap after a mistake at the hairpin.

The sprint race, approximately one-third the length of a grand prix, is set for Saturday at 0300GMT, with qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix following later in the day.

The 2025 Chinese Grand Prix main race will take place on Sunday starting at 0700GMT at the Shanghai International Circuit.

Top 10 sprint qualifying standings:

1. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 1:30.849
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 1:30.867
3. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 1:30.929
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 1:31.057
5. George Russell (Mercedes) – 1:31.169
6. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 1:31.393
7. Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 1:31.738
8. Yuki Tsunoda (Racing Bulls) – 1:31.773
9. Alex Albon (Williams) – 1:31.852
10. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – 1:31.982