Max Verstappen secures pole position in Chinese GP Qualifying as Lewis Hamilton suffers unexpected early elimination

Max Verstappen secured Red Bull’s 100th F1 pole position in a stunning qualifying session at the Chinese Grand Prix, while Lewis Hamilton suffered a shock early exit and will start 18th on the grid.

Verstappen continued his dominant form by claiming his fifth consecutive pole position of the 2024 season, with teammate Sergio Perez securing a Red Bull front-row lockout. Meanwhile, Hamilton’s day took a turn for the worse as he made a crucial mistake at the hairpin on his final qualifying attempt, relegating him to 18th place.

Former teammate Nico Rosberg described Hamilton’s early exit as “seriously painful,” highlighting the seven-time world champion’s uncharacteristic error. Hamilton expressed his frustration, admitting that he “just struggled” following setup changes to his Mercedes W15.

In a surprising turn of events, Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin briefly threatened Red Bull’s dominance by securing a provisional second place before being overtaken by Perez. McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri also put in strong performances, finishing fourth and fifth respectively.

The top 10 grid positions for the Chinese Grand Prix are as follows:
1) Max Verstappen, Red Bull
2) Sergio Perez, Red Bull
3) Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin
4) Lando Norris, McLaren
5) Oscar Piastri, McLaren
6) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
7) Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
8) George Russell, Mercedes
9) Nico Hulkenberg, Haas
10) Valtteri Bottas, Sauber

With Hamilton facing his worst qualifying result in two years, the stage is set for an exciting race on Sunday. Stay tuned for live coverage of the Chinese Grand Prix on Sky Sports F1 at 8am.