In a thrilling and chaotic Formula 1 sprint qualifying session in Shanghai, Lando Norris secured pole position. The rain-soaked final qualifying segment saw Norris initially have his time deleted, only to have it reinstated, ultimately giving him first place on the grid for the Saturday morning race. Lewis Hamilton briefly took pole position after Norris’ deletion, but struggled in the dry conditions before coming alive once the track became wet. The session was interrupted by a grass fire, believed to be caused by the sparks from the cars. The rain arrived in the final minutes of the session, resulting in drivers struggling to keep their cars on the track. Charles Leclerc had an early off into the barriers but managed to avoid major damage. Norris and championship leader Max Verstappen also had off-track excursions, costing them valuable laps. Hamilton had a chance to respond but fell short, finishing 1.261s behind Norris. Fernando Alonso initially held provisional pole but settled for third, followed closely by Verstappen, Carlos Sainz, and Sergio Perez. Leclerc finished in seventh place, with Oscar Piastri in eighth. The order for the final segment was completed by Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou. George Russell was the fastest in the second segment, followed by the Haas duo of Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg. Daniel Ricciardo outqualified Yuki Tsunoda for the first time this season. Lance Stroll ended up 15th for Aston, while Pierre Gasly missed out on the second segment by a narrow margin. The Alpines were faster than the Williams cars, with Alex Albon in 18th and Logan Sargeant in 20th. Tsunoda finished a disappointing 19th and expressed frustration about the lack of grip.
Max Verstappen has surpassed Lewis Hamilton once again following his victory at the Emilia Romagna GP. These two drivers have been the most prominent figures in Formula 1...
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