Andrew Benson
BBC F1 correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

Lewis Hamilton took his first pole position for Ferrari as he headed sprint qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix.

Hamilton beat Red Bull's Max Verstappen by 0.018 seconds as McLaren's challenge faded around the Shanghai circuit and will start Saturday's sprint race from the front.

Oscar Piastri was third and Lando Norris, winner of the season-opening race in Australia last weekend, sixth behind Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Mercedes' George Russell.

Norris had appeared to be on target to take sprint pole with a blistering first-sector time on a second run but braked too late for the hairpin at the end of the long back straight and ran wide, forcing him to abort the lap.

Read the full report here

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen sharing the front row together again but this time the Briton is in a Ferrari.

We'll be back on Saturday at 02:45 GMT to build up to the 19-lap sprint race in Shanghai, which starts at 03:00.

Once the winner is crowned and the cars can be tinkered with again, all eyes will be on qualifying for Sunday's main race, which takes place at 07:00.

You can listen to the Chequered Flag podcast's tribute to Eddie Jordan here

Enjoy the rest of your Friday and we'll see you bright and (very) early tomorrow!

Image source, BBC Sport

How long will Lewis Hamilton need to find his feet at Ferrari was just one of the many questions we received after the Australian Grand Prix. Have a read of that Q&A here.

If you have any thoughts you want to put to Andrew Benson at any point this weekend, send them using the link here.

Depending on how you view the sprint race, Lewis Hamilton has either moved on to 105 career poles, or is still on 104. Same applies whether this is his first front-row spot for Ferrari or not. Whichever way you see it, the seven-time world champion will be leading the field off the line when the 100km sprint race takes place on Saturday.

Image source, Reuters

"Probably quick at the wrong points," is Oscar Piastri's assessment of McLaren's SQ3. "The pace of the car is still strong, so I'm still confident," the Australian adds.

For Lando Norris, he says there were "too many mistakes", before adding he was "pushing too hard". The Briton thinks the car is still in a good window and the team can still push for pole for the main race.

The fans and the media have swarmed around Lewis Hamilton as he heads back to the Ferrari garage. If you don't mind getting up ridiculously early on Saturday, then the 19-lap sprint race is at 03:00 GMT.

Hamilton adds he is "gobsmacked" he put his car at the front of the pack. "Even though it's not the main pole, that gives me real inspiration for tomorrow to find more performance," he says.

"For sure, it's a good feeling," team boss Fred Vasseur says of Hamilton's sprint pole. "If you compare it with last week, the quali and the race, it's much better.

"It's put a positive energy on the team, and on Lewis."

Lewis Hamilton thanks the crowd in Shanghai and says he didn't expect the result. "So, so happy and proud," he adds.

"The last race was a disaster for us, and clearly we knew there was more performance in the car but we just weren't able to extract it. To come here to a track that I love; Shanghai, beautiful place, and the weather has been amazing and the car really came alive from lap one.

"We made some great changes, the team did a fantastic job through the break to get the car ready. I'm a bit in shock. I can't believe we got a pole in a sprint.

"It's not the main race, we've still got work to do for tomorrow but it puts us in good stead for the race."

Image source, Reuters

Lewis Hamilton takes the first sprint pole of the 2025 season with a new lap record of 1:30.849 at the Shanghai International Circuit.

The 40-year-old said in his post-qualifying interview it is amazing to see the number one board and the red car together.

11. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)

12. Ollie Bearman (Haas)

13. Carlos Sainz (Williams)

14. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber)

15. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls)

16. Jack Doohan (Alpine)

17. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)

18. Esteban Ocon (Haas)

19. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber)

20. Liam Lawson (Red Bull)

1. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) - 1:30.849

2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

3. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

5. George Russell (Mercedes)

6. Lando Norris (McLaren)

7. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)

8. Yuki Tsunoda (Racing Bulls)

9. Alex Albon (Williams)

10. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)

Sorry, Oscar Piastri. The McLaren man is third, Charles Leclerc is fourth.

It's early...

The chequered flag waves and Max Verstappen goes second fastest, 0.018 seconds behind the Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton.

Oscar Piastri doesn't improve on his lap time and stays second, as team-mate Lando Norris heads into the pits and stays in fifth place.

Here comes Max Verstappen...

Lewis Hamilton is rapid in the Ferrari and the seven-time world champion flies to the top with a 1:30.849.

A slide of the rear heading onto the back straight lost Lando Norris some vital time. The Briton is sitting in third spot, but there are only four times on the board so far.

The first sector has been completed by Lando Norris and the McLaren clocks a 24.2s to go purple. Team-mate Oscar Piastri nicks that purple marker in the middle sector and goes top with a 1:30.929. Can Norris beat him? No! Then George Russell splits the papaya pair with a 1:31.169.

Put eight minutes on the clock and soft tyres on the cars now.

SQ3 is green.

Here are your 10 drivers for the sprint pole shootout. Lando Norris was quickest in SQ2.

1. Lando Norris

2. George Russell

3. Oscar Piastri

4. Lewis Hamilton

5. Kimi Antonelli

6. Max Verstappen

7. Alex Albon

8. Charles Leclerc

9. Lance Stroll

10. Yuki Tsunoda

Carlos Sainz is talking his Williams pit wall through some seat concerns he had during that second sprint qualifying session. While the Spaniard is out, his team-mate Alex Albon is through to the pole shootout.