Lewis Hamilton secured his first pole position as a Ferrari driver, narrowly beating Max Verstappen by just 0.018 seconds in the Chinese Grand Prix Sprint Qualifying.
Despite missing out on pole, Verstappen acknowledged Hamilton’s performance and sent him a message after the session:
“Lewis did a great lap, and it was really close. We’ll see what happens in the race, but I’m ready for the fight.”
The Dutchman, who has been dominant in recent seasons, will start second for Saturday’s 19-lap sprint race. Meanwhile, Oscar Piastri took third, with Charles Leclerc in fourth and George Russell in fifth.
Hamilton, who has won the Chinese GP six times, will now aim for his first Ferrari victory as he looks to challenge Red Bull’s dominance.