2024 Chinese Grand Prix – Qualifying results (Shanghai International Circuit)

Thomas Maher 20 Apr 2024 8:24 AM

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 2024 Chinese Grand Prix.

Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton led the Sprint race in China, but was knocked out in Q1 in qualifying.

Here are the complete results from the qualifying session for the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit.

The qualifying session for the Chinese Grand Prix is now complete, with the 20 drivers having decided the grid order for the race.

Q3:

Chinese GP: Max Verstappen back on pole position as ‘disaster’ befalls Lewis Hamilton in qualifying

Max Verstappen has taken pole position for the Chinese Grand Prix, racking up Red Bull’s 100th pole position as teammate Sergio Perez made it a front-row lock-out for the Milton Keynes-based team.

Both of Verstappen’s flying laps in Q3 would have been enough for pole position, with the Dutch driver making it five consecutive pole positions to start the season – the first time in 25 years a driver has achieved that.

Behind the Red Bulls, Fernando Alonso claimed third place for Aston Martin, while Sprint Qualifying pole man Lando Norris was fourth for McLaren.

Oscar Piastri claimed fifth, ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz – the Spaniard recovering after crashing his car during Q2.

George Russell was eighth for Mercedes, the only representative of the Brackley-based squad as Lewis Hamilton was knocked out in Q1.

Nico Hulkenberg claimed ninth for Haas, with Valtteri Bottas in 10th for Sauber. Hulkenberg has been summoned before the stewards for a pitlane incident at the very start of Q1, threatening his ninth-place grid slot if a penalty is applied.

1. Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:33.660
2. Sergio Perez Red Bull +0.322
3. Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +0.488
4. Lando Norris McLaren +0.505
5. Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.613
6. Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.629
7. Carlos Sainz Ferrari +0.637
8. George Russell Mercedes +0.773
9. Nico Hulkenberg Haas +0.944
10. Valtteri Bottas Sauber +1.005

Q2:

The Q2 session was red-flagged with six minutes remaining, due to Carlos Sainz crashing his Ferrari after an error coming off the final corner.

But Sainz managed to get his car moving again and back to the pits for repairs during the stoppage, allowing him to resume the session – making it through in third place behind Verstappen and Perez’s Red Bulls.

Eliminated were Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll in 11th, ahead of RB’s Daniel Ricciardo and Alpine’s Esteban Ocon.

Alex Albon was down in 14th for Williams, getting on team radio to complain about “everything being on a knife edge”, while Alpine’s Pierre Gasly was the slowest driver of the Q2 session.

1. Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:33.794
2. Sergio Perez Red Bull +0.232
3. Carlos Sainz Ferrari +0.574
4. Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.605
5. Lando Norris McLaren +0.666
6. George Russell Mercedes +0.815
7. Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +0.858
8. Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.865
9. Nico Hulkenberg Haas +0.873
10. Valtteri Bottas Sauber +0.975
11. Lance Stroll Aston Martin +1.044
12. Daniel Ricciardo RB +1.140
13. Esteban Ocon Alpine +1.429
14. Alex Albon Williams +1.447
15. Pierre Gasly Alpine +1.669

Q1:

Verstappen picked up where he’d left off on Saturday morning by heading the field in Q1, setting a 1:34.742 on his final run to beat Charles Leclerc by just 0.055 seconds, while Sprint polesitter Lando Norris finished third.

Zhou Guanyu wasn’t able to replicate his Friday heroics as the Sauber driver was knocked out in 16th place, ahead of Haas’ Kevin Magnussen in 17th.

Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, who was the early leader of the Sprint, was a shock elimination as he could only manage 18th place – an error into the hairpin on his final flying lap costing him any chance of making it through.

Yuki Tsunoda continued his difficult weekend as the RB driver could only finish 19th, getting on the team radio to suggest something was wrong with his car as he felt his lap had been quite good.

Logan Sargeant finished in 20th for Williams, sliding off the track on his final run.