George Russell Secures Sprint Pole for Chinese GP as Mercedes Dominates Qualifying George Russell claimed pole position for the Chinese Grand Prix sprint race, leading his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton to second in a dominant performance during sprint qualifying. The British driver’s lap time of 1 minute 31.520 seconds edged out Antonio Giovinazzi’s 1m31.880s, securing the top spot for Mercedes. Lando Norris of McLaren followed in third, finishing 0.621 seconds behind Russell, while Oscar Piastri of Alpine rounded out the top five. The result highlights the competitive edge of the Mercedes team, which has consistently shown strong form in recent races. The qualifying session was marked by several incidents and controversies. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who finished fourth, was 1.2 seconds slower than the Mercedes duo, while Max Verstappen of Red Bull came in fifth, 1.7 seconds behind Russell. The Dutch driver faced scrutiny after being accused of being impeded by Alpine’s Esteban Ocon, who was later penalized for blocking Norris during the session. The stewards are reviewing the incident, which could result in grid penalties for both drivers. The sprint qualifying format, which determines the starting grid for the race, saw a mix of strategic decisions and technical challenges. Drivers like Kevin Magnussen and Pierre Gasly fought for positions in the lower half of the grid, with Gasly ultimately securing seventh place. The session also highlighted the unpredictable nature of the Chinese GP, where multiple incidents and close battles for positions kept the competition tight. Mercedes’ dominance was further underscored by the performance of Hamilton, who finished second after a strong lap time of 1m32.161s. The British driver’s time was just 0.641 seconds off Russell’s pole, showcasing the team’s consistency.#ferrari #mercedes #george_russell #lewis_hamilton #chinese_gp
