Kimi Antonelli experiences a great qualifying: he takes pole for the Chinese GP. Max Verstappen gets no further than P8 at the Shanghai International Circuit. Relive the qualifying here!

Q1: Leclerc fastest in first part

Except for a few, such as George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, a whole pack of drivers immediately takes to the track in Q1. Among them is Max Verstappen, who had a dramatic sprint race. The Dutchman is driving on mediums and is surprisingly faster in the first minutes than, for example, Charles Leclerc on the soft tire. However, these are only the opening salvos.

When both Mercedes drivers also head out, they immediately set the tone on the soft tire: Russell is the fastest, ahead of Antonelli. Verstappen has meanwhile dropped to P10 halfway through the session. However, a lap on soft tires is still to come. Leclerc takes the fastest time away from Russell a few minutes before the end of Q1.

In the final seconds, improvements are raining down in Shanghai. From Verstappen too? Yes! Fourth time, faster than Hamilton, Norris, Piastri, and Hadjar. But behind Leclerc, Russell, and Antonelli. Q1 is over! The dropouts, from P17 to P22, are Sainz, Albon, Alonso, Bottas, Stroll, and Pérez respectively.

Q2: Does Mercedes step it up a gear?

Russell and Antonelli immediately show their speed. Ferrari keeps up, however, as both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc join in. McLaren duo Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri fight with Verstappen and his teammate Isack Hadjar for fifth place. The Dutchman occupies that spot after the first run in Q2.

With a few minutes left on the clock, it’s a game of musical chairs at the front; Leclerc shows that he must be reckoned with for pole. He goes to the fastest time. At the back, the battle for a spot in Q3 is exciting, among others between the Audis and Racing Bulls.

And then in the final seconds, there is a yellow flag: Bortoleto is the reason. He goes off but can continue his way. Certain drivers on a fast lap are affected by this. Verstappen goes through to Q3 in seventh, Gasly surprises with P5.

Q3: Problems for Russell, pole for Antonelli!

Oh no, problems for Russell? Could things finally go wrong for the first time this season for the championship leader? And what can Max Verstappen do in Q3? Antonelli opens the show, he goes to P1. Piastri and Norris follow, Verstappen is in P6. Russell doesn’t have a time on the clocks yet due to a software issue, but heads out anyway.

In the final seconds, it’s exciting! Antonelli improves his fastest time by three-tenths of a second, Norris loses a lot of time. Then Leclerc: he also doesn’t reach the Italian’s time. Hamilton then beats his Ferrari teammate. And Verstappen? Seventh, still behind Pierre Gasly’s Alpine. The final word goes to Russell: he comes close to Antonelli’s time but doesn’t make it, P2. Verstappen consequently drops to P8, but the pole goes to… Kimi Antonelli!

Behind both Mercedes, Hamilton on behalf of Ferrari is the man who proves to be ‘best of the rest’. That bodes well for Sunday’s race. It starts at 8:00 AM Dutch time.