Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen will share the front row for Saturday’s Chinese Sprint Grand Prix. Hamilton edged his old rival by less than two-hundredths of a second in Friday’s qualifying session.

It’s the first time both drivers will start first and second since the 2023 Hungarian GP, ​​Hamilton’s last official F1 pole. McLaren was expected to take the front row, but Oscar Piastri only managed third, with Lando Norris sixth.

Hamilton and Verstappen agreed to a major F1 regulation change ahead of the race, and their rivalry has generally calmed down since its bitter 2021 run. However, fans will be delighted by the prospect of a duel in the first corner of the Sprint.

Last season, the seven-time world champion qualified second for the Shanghai Sprint and snatched the lead from Lando Norris at the first corner. He then lost to Verstappen, who had qualified fourth.

Helmut Marko congratulates Lewis Hamilton on pole position at the Chinese Grand Prix

Speaking to Motorsport Netherlands in the paddock of the Chinese Grand Prix, Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko praised Hamilton’s efforts. He suspected Ferrari would improve after what he called an “unfortunate” weekend in Melbourne.

The Scuderia only scored five points in Australia, but they immediately looked quick here, with Charles Leclerc second and Hamilton fourth in FP1. Marko is particularly impressed that Hamilton outqualified his “fantastic” teammate in just his second race.

“They had some bad luck in Melbourne, but here Ferrari has been strong from the first session,” he said. “My congratulations to Hamilton for taking pole position in his second race… And also against Leclerc, who was fantastic in qualifying. It’s an incredible achievement.”

Referring to his own team, Marko said Verstappen had exceeded expectations. He feared a fourth-row finish after the world champion struggled in FP1.

He planned a “hot lap” to take full advantage of Red Bull’s balance changes. Meanwhile, Martin Brundle felt sorry for Liam Lawson, as the new signing qualified last.

“It was much better than expected, yes. We were worried about not even making it into the first two rows. Based on the practice sessions, we weren’t in the top six.

“After that, they changed a few things on the car, and they seem to be working. Then Max did a fast lap.”

Lewis Hamilton gets a new nickname from Damon Hill after Ferrari’s milestone.

Hamilton broke Sebastian Vettel’s lap record with a time of 1:30.849. The drivers benefited from the complete resurfacing of the track prior to the race.

The 40-year-old driver had the worst qualifying of his career in 2024, losing 19-5 to George Russell in the head-to-head with Mercedes. It’s therefore particularly encouraging that he has already overtaken Leclerc.

The Monegasque driver will look to react in Saturday’s main qualifying session. Teams will have the opportunity to review their setup after the sprint.

Damon Hill shared a new nickname for Hamilton after Friday’s session: Ferramilton. He’s confident of an epic weekend after Ferrari and Red Bull fought back in their battle with McLaren.