Overview
- Andrea Kimi Antonelli, 19 years and 6 months, took pole in Shanghai to become the youngest pole-sitter in Formula 1 history.
- George Russell will start alongside him after managing only one Q3 run due to a gearbox issue, with Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc on row two.
- McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris secured the third row, while Max Verstappen qualified eighth as Red Bull’s struggles continued.
- Earlier, Russell won the 19-lap Sprint ahead of Leclerc and Hamilton, with a late safety car triggered by Nico Hülkenberg’s retirement shaping the finish.
- Antonelli received a 10-second Sprint penalty for contact with Isack Hadjar after a poor launch yet recovered to fifth, as Ferrari highlighted improved race pace and Verstappen cited start and tyre-degradation problems in ninth.