Chinese GP: Lando Norris Takes Pole In Season's Opening Sprint Qualifying As Zhou Guanyu Impresses Home Crowd

 

Home-favourite Zhou Guanyu made the top 10 of the rain-drenched and chaottic Sprint qualifying session of the Chinese Grand prix where Lando Norris narrowly pipped Lewis Hamilton to the pole. 

Racing in SQ3 was that kind of sprint where drivers had to engaged their driving prowess racing on wet surface to ensure their cars have the right grip on the tracks. For many of the drivers, it was their first time on the track in China, and for the older drivers, it was a revisit to the track after five years hiatus. Unfortunately, it started raining just after SQ2, leaving the surface wet and the race dramatic. 

Max Verstappen could not make the pole neither could Sergio Perez as the Red Bull duo struggled with the surface. Verstappened sped over the curb at Turn 14, leading to infringement on the track limit and could not improve on his previous time on his last race. 

Hamilton was initially in provisional pole before Norris' lap time was reinstated after McLaren driver's track limit offence for skidding of the road was lifted - Norris was off the road on four tyres. Hamilton lost was should have been his first Sprint pole of the season to Norris, who claimed the front row of the season's first Sprint. 

Fernando Alonso made most of the tyres on the wet surface, keeping within the track limit but later dropped down the time standings to P3. Charles Leclerc also struggled on his traction at Turn 8 whilst approaching the lights to finish in P6 whilst his team-mate, Carlos Sainz finished behind Verstappen, who will started in P4.

Goerge Russell could not get past SQ2 for finishing in P11 behind Guanyu. who was loudly cheered by the crowd speeding pst the lights. Valtteri Bottas from the start of SQ3 showed to be impressive but in the end dropped to P9. It was a difficult track for the drivers going by the weather which impacted on Red Bull.