The 2025 Chinese Grand Prix saw a dramatic shake-up in the F1 qualifying results, with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri claiming his first-ever pole position and setting a new lap record at the Shanghai International Circuit. The Australian driver, who has been showing impressive form this season, secured the top spot with a blistering lap of 1:30.641 seconds, sending a clear message to the competition.
Behind him, Mercedes’ George Russell had a sensational final lap to snatch second place, just 0.082 seconds off Piastri’s pace. Lando Norris, Piastri’s McLaren teammate, finished in third, 0.152 seconds adrift, rounding out a strong showing for the team.
However, the big shock of the day came from Red Bull, as Liam Lawson’s struggles continued. The New Zealand rookie, who has had a difficult start to his Formula 1 career, qualified dead last, finishing 20th. Despite a strong comeback in Saturday’s sprint race, where he climbed to 14th, Lawson couldn’t translate that form into qualifying for the feature race, leaving him with a mountain to climb on Sunday.
The woes didn’t stop there for Red Bull McLaren. Max Verstappen, the reigning world champion, was unable to match the pace of the front-runners and had to settle for fourth place, a far cry from his usual dominance. Verstappen was just 0.176 seconds slower than Piastri, but the result marks one of the few times he has been outperformed in qualifying this season.
Ferrari also had a solid outing, with both of their drivers making it into the top six. Lewis Hamilton, who has been in good form, qualified fifth, while teammate Charles Leclerc was right behind in sixth with McLaren. Despite their efforts, the Scuderia could not challenge McLaren or Mercedes for pole.
The qualifying session saw some other notable performances, particularly from the Racing Bulls. Isack Hadjar, the up-and-coming talent, secured a place in the top 10, qualifying in seventh, while Yuki Tsunoda also impressed with a ninth-place finish. These results should provide optimism for the Racing Bulls as they prepare for Sunday’s race.
On the flip side, there were more frustrations for Alpine’s Jack Doohan, who spun off the track and failed to set a competitive lap time, leaving him in 18th place. Doohan’s struggles are not ideal as he battles for his future in the team, especially with the highly-rated Franco Colapinto breathing down his neck.
The elimination stages were dramatic, with several high-profile drivers missing out on a place in Q3. Esteban Ocon, Nico Hulkenberg, and Fernando Alonso all fell in Q2, while Lance Stroll and Carlos Sainz were eliminated in Q1. In addition to the surprising results for the top teams, Pierre Gasly, Ollie Bearman, and Gabriel Bortoleto all had disappointing performances, failing to make it past Q1.
The F1 qualifying session operates in three stages: Q1, Q2, and Q3. The bottom five drivers after Q1 are eliminated, with another five dropped at the end of Q2. The top 10 drivers then battle it out in Q3 for the best grid positions ahead of Sunday’s race.
The Chinese Grand Prix promises to be an exciting one, with McLaren leading the charge after a stunning qualifying session. The big question now is whether they can convert their strong qualifying form into race results or if Red Bull, despite their setback, can recover and challenge for victory.
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