Hamilton Leads 2025 Chinese GP Sprint Grid as Russell Starts P5

Lewis Hamilton takes Sprint pole at the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai. Russell secures P5, Antonelli P7. Teams ready for a competitive Sprint race.

The 2025 Chinese Grand Prix weekend kicked off in Shanghai with a thrilling Sprint Qualifying session, setting the tone for the battles ahead. On a fully resurfaced track, drivers faced the tough challenge of adapting quickly to the new conditions, making tyre management and grip crucial factors.

Mercedes delivered a solid performance in the only practice session, with George Russell finishing fourth and rookie Kimi Antonelli ninth. But the real fight unfolded in the three stages of Sprint Qualifying. Russell secured P5, just three-tenths off pole, while Antonelli claimed P7 after a competitive session.

Tyre handling proved decisive. Both drivers found the Medium compound improving on the second lap but struggled to maximize grip on the Softs in SQ3. Russell noted how minimal the gaps were — a strong lap could either push a driver into the top three or drop them out of the top ten. He felt P5 was a fair result after what he considered a solid lap in SQ3.

Antonelli, meanwhile, continued to show promising progress. He was particularly comfortable on the Mediums, but an underheated set of Softs cost him time in sector one during SQ3, limiting him to seventh. The young Italian remained confident in his pace and looked forward to the Sprint challenge.

At the front, pole position was decided by a razor-thin margin, with just 0.018s separating the top two. Oscar Piastri took third for McLaren, followed by Charles Leclerc in P4. Remarkably, four different teams filled the top five positions, promising a highly unpredictable Sprint.

Saturday’s forecast looks clear and warm, with temperatures up to 25°C and no rain expected. With these conditions, teams will engage in a classic battle of pace and strategy. McLaren, despite showing strong practice pace, couldn’t fully capitalize in qualifying and will be eager to bounce back. Meanwhile, Mercedes will rely on their solid long runs on the Medium tyre, aiming to fight for points before focusing on the main Qualifying session later in the day.

Source: mercedes-benz.com