Lewis Hamilton expressed his surprise after achieving pole position for the sprint race on Saturday at the Chinese Grand Prix. This is only his second race weekend with Ferrari.
The seven-time world champion outperformed Max Verstappen, his long-time rival, securing the fastest lap by a mere 0.018 seconds. Lando Norris, who initially showed greater speed in the first two sectors, made a mistake at Turn 14, ending up in sixth place.
This result marks a significant improvement for Hamilton after he finished tenth in the Australian Grand Prix, which was affected by rain and was the season opener. He seemed genuinely taken aback by his car’s performance.
“I didn’t anticipate this result,” Hamilton admitted. “I’m incredibly happy and proud. The previous race was clearly disappointing for us. We knew the car had more potential, but we couldn’t quite unlock it.”
“Coming to Shanghai, a track I truly enjoy, and with such great weather, the car felt fantastic right from the start.”
“I wasn’t sure when we’d reach this level, especially after a challenging week following the last race. I aimed to approach this weekend aggressively, focusing on getting the car in optimal condition. From the beginning, I felt more comfortable in the car, and it’s still hard to believe we’re at the front,” he added.
“The team implemented some excellent changes during the break to prepare the car. I’m still a bit shocked; securing pole in the sprint race is incredible.”
“Of course, the main race is still ahead, so we have more work to do for tomorrow. But this result is a positive sign for the race.”
Hamilton mentioned that he had planned setup adjustments to improve his Ferrari’s performance. However, he was still surprised by the extent of the improvement after qualifying.
“I’m not entirely sure why. I need to analyze the data. My first sector was particularly strong, and I think that’s where I gained the most time on that lap.”
“It was just small improvements across the entire lap. There’s still more time to find, which I’ll aim for in the next qualifying session. It’s incredible to see number one when you stop and to be in the Ferrari car. It’s quite special.”
Hamilton noted that the sprint race on Saturday would be his first experience racing the Ferrari in dry conditions, as preseason testing issues prevented him from doing a dry race simulation.
“I didn’t get to do a race simulation in Bahrain, and last weekend’s race was in wet conditions,” Hamilton explained. “So, tomorrow will be my first extended run or race simulation, and Sunday will be my first proper dry race with this car.”
“I’m hoping we can maintain this position, but I expect McLaren and Max to be very fast. Still, we’re in a good starting position. We’ll remain positive, stay focused, and keep pushing forward.”
Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc, who will start fourth, commented, “I’ve been struggling on my side, feeling a step behind Lewis from the start. Lewis was just quicker today.”
“I particularly struggled in Turns 1, 2, and 3, similar to last year, which is disappointing. But aside from that, it was very close. It’s a shame to start P4, but Lewis is on pole, and hopefully, we can have a strong race together tomorrow.”
