F1 Chinese Grand Prix 2025 qualifying results: Piastri takes pole

Oscar Piastri has taken his first pole position in Formula 1, setting the fastest time in Shanghai.

The Australian took his McLaren to the front, setting a new lap record in the process, and beating Mercedes’ George Russell by less than a tenth of a second. Piastri’s team-mate Lando Norris was in third.

Max Verstappen managed fourth, while the Ferrari drivers of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc could only muster fifth and sixth, despite Hamilton securing sprint pole and winning the sprint race.

Isack Hadjar again impressed, beating his Racing Bulls team-mate Yuki Tsunoda to seventh (the Japanese driver finishing ninth), with Kimi Antonelli in eighth and Alexander Albon in tenth.

The previous qualifying session presented a very similar grid to the sprint race with Isack Hadjar being the only swap, making it through at the expense of Lance Stroll – the Frenchman securing a top-ten place this time having not set a time in the second sprint qualifying session.

The first qualifying session finished went largely without issue, save for a spin for Jack Doohan.

The Australian picked up a 10s penalty and two penalty points on his license for an ill-timed move on Brazilian Gabriel Bortoleto in the sprint race earlier in the day, and continued the run of unfortunate moves by spinning on his first lap and ruining his tyres in the process.

He was one of four rookies who failed to make it out of Q1, with Pierre Gasly finishing 15th and Oliver Bearman, Doohan, Gabriel Bortoleto and Liam Lawson behind. It was the second time that the New Zealander was last in a qualifying session in Shanghai, having also qualified last for the sprint.

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