Verstappen takes pole for Chinese GP after sprint win
Triple world champion Max Verstappen took pole position on Saturday for the Chinese Grand Prix, 0.322 seconds ahead of Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez with Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso third. Verstappen clocked a fastest lap of 1 minute and 33.660 seconds to cap a perfect day after earlier winning the sprint race at the Shanghai International Circuit. Lando Norris will start on the second row in his McLaren alongside Alonso for Sunday's race, the first grand prix to be held in China since 2019 because of Covid-19 pandemic restrictions. Oscar Piastri was fifth fastest in the second McLaren ahead of the Ferrari pair of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, with George Russell's Mercedes eighth. It was a dominant day for the Dutchman who overcame electrical gremlins to blast from fourth on the grid to an emphatic victory in the morning sprint, 13 seconds ahead of Lewis Hamilton. The win increased his championship lead over teammate Perez to 25 points. But Hamilton's joy at coming second in the sprint turned to despair in the first qualifying stint when the Englishman locked up near the end of his final flying lap, relegating him to only 18th fastest. It was the first time since the 2022 Saudi Grand Prix that the seven-time world champion had been knocked out in Q1. (AFP)