Lewis Hamilton “Gobsmacked” After Securing Sprint Qualifying Pole in China
Lewis Hamilton expressed his astonishment after clinching pole position for the Sprint Qualifying in China, marking an impressive turnaround for the seven-time World Champion in his debut season with Ferrari. The Briton topped the time sheets with a record lap of 1:30.849, narrowly edging out Max Verstappen by just 0.018 seconds.
After a challenging first race weekend in Australia, Hamilton’s confidence surged as he took to the Shanghai circuit. The Sprint Qualifying saw him outpace Verstappen, who has been a dominant force, along with his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc, who had previously bested Hamilton in the season opener.
“I’m just a bit gobsmacked, honestly,” Hamilton remarked after his unexpected success. “I didn’t know when we would get to this position. After last weekend, it was a difficult start, but I came here with aggression and just wanted to get the car into a really great place.”
Hamilton’s performance was particularly impressive considering the speed of the McLaren team, which had shown strong pace during winter testing and the first race. Oscar Piastri secured third place in the qualifying session, while Lando Norris struggled, finishing sixth after making mistakes during his runs.
Reflecting on his record lap, Hamilton noted, “My first sector was really, really strong; I think that’s where I made most of my improvement. There’s still time to find, which I’ll try and make sure to apply in the next Qualifying session.”
This marks only the second time Hamilton will start a Sprint from pole position, the first being at Silverstone in 2021. Looking ahead to the Sprint race, he expressed cautious optimism, stating, “I’m hoping that we can hold onto it, but I think the McLarens are very fast, as is Max. We’re in a good position, we’ll stay positive, and keep pushing forwards.”
