Max 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 min 33.660sec 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.