Lewis Hamilton expressed his shock after achieving pole position for Saturday’s sprint race at the Chinese Grand Prix. This is only his second race weekend with Ferrari.
The seven-time world champion outpaced his long-time rival Max Verstappen to the fastest time by a mere 0.018 seconds. Lando Norris, who demonstrated faster pace than Hamilton in the initial two sectors of the lap, made an error by going wide at Turn 14, ultimately finishing sixth.
This result marks a significant turnaround for Hamilton, especially after his tenth-place finish at the Australian Grand Prix in wet conditions at the season opener. He seemed genuinely surprised by his car’s performance.
‘I didn’t expect that result,’ he admitted. ‘But I am incredibly happy and proud. We knew after the last race, which was a disaster for us, that there was more potential in the car that we couldn’t unlock.’
‘Coming to Shanghai, a track I love, a beautiful place with amazing weather, the car felt alive right from the first lap.’
‘I was uncertain when we would reach this position, especially after a challenging start to the week following last weekend. I aimed to approach this weekend aggressively, focusing on getting the car in the optimal state. From the outset, I felt better in the car, and I’m still in disbelief that we’re at the front,’ he added.
‘We implemented some excellent changes, and the team did an outstanding job during the break to prepare the car. I’m somewhat in shock. I can’t believe we secured pole for the sprint.’
‘While it’s not the main race, we still have work to do for tomorrow. However, this result positions us well for the race.’
Hamilton mentioned that he had setup adjustments planned to enhance his Ferrari’s performance. He was still surprised by the improvement after qualifying.
‘I have no idea how we achieved this. I need to analyze the data. My first sector was exceptionally strong, and I believe that’s where I gained the most time on that lap.’
‘It was just about making small gains everywhere on the track. There’s still more time to be found, which I will aim for in the next qualifying session. It’s incredible to see number one as you stop and to be in the red car. It’s quite special.’
Hamilton noted that Saturday’s 19-lap sprint race would be his first experience driving the Ferrari in dry race conditions. Pre-season testing issues prevented him from completing a dry race simulation earlier.
‘I didn’t get to do a race simulation in Bahrain, and the last race was in wet conditions,’ Hamilton explained. ‘So, tomorrow will be my first extended run or race simulation, and Sunday will be my first proper race in dry conditions with this car.’
‘I hope we can maintain this position, but I anticipate strong competition from McLaren and Max. We are in a good starting position, and we will remain positive, focused, and keep pushing forward.’
Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc, who will start fourth on the grid on Saturday, commented, ‘I’ve struggled on my side of the garage. I’ve felt a step behind Lewis from the start, and he was simply faster today.’
‘I particularly struggled in Turns 1, 2, and 3, similar to my issues last year, which is disappointing. However, aside from that, the times were very close. It’s a shame to start P4, but Lewis is on pole, and hopefully, we can have a strong race together tomorrow.’
Dominic Ashworth