2024-04-20 08:13:00
Max Verstappen has achieved a new Pole at the 2024 Chinese GP, his 37th in Formula 1. Sergio Pérez has sealed a double for Red Bull and Fernando Alonso, with a stellar performance in Q3, has been third. Carlos Sainz, with a slight accident included in Q2, secured seventh place.
It is strange to have the qualification for the Grand Prix after having competed in the Sprint, but that is what the change of format has. And the truth is that there have been some surprises, such as the ‘fall’ of Lewis Hamilton in Q1 after having been second in the Sprint.
At the top, however, there have been no surprises. Max Verstappen has once again demonstrated his power and has achieved a new Pole position on a circuit that Formula 1 has not visited since 2019, while Sergio Pérez has corroborated Red Bull’s dominance with second position.
Of course, the Mexican has had to sweat to beat Fernando Alonso who was second in the first attempt in Q3. The Asturian, in fact, has put together another good lap in his last attempt and has not only beaten his rivals by a matter of thousandths, but has been one tenth behind ‘Checo’.
Behind Alonso, the McLarens and the Ferraris – ‘ordered’ -. Lando Norris was fourth, ahead of Oscar Piastri, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. These five drivers, separated by less than a tenth and a half! Sainz recovered well after the slight blow in Q2, but he could only be seventh. George Russell, Nico Hülkenberg and Valtteri Bottas completed the top 10.
Q1
After a Sprint in which Verstappen dominated and ‘sparks’ between Alonso and Sainz, it was time to face a classification that took place in dry conditions and with the asphalt at a temperature of 35 degrees.
There was no time to lose, so many drivers quickly took to the track. The first half was a 1’38”142 by Yuki Tsunoda – with DRS problems –, although obviously he didn’t take long to fall.
George Russell started with a 1’36”436 and Charles Leclerc directly set a 1’35”980, but Fernando Alonso, with an impressive 1’35”116 – seven tenths faster than Lance Stroll – has risen to first place.
What’s more, that time has allowed the Asturian to stay ahead of the Red Bull on the first attempt. Max Verstappen was 55 thousandths behind with a 1’35”171; Sergio Pérez had to ‘abort’ after going wide in turn 1 when encountering traffic.
Oscar Piastri arrived shortly after with a 1’35”014 and Carlos Sainz, on his first lap with the soft one – after going out on the track first with used equipment –, dropped to 1’34”970.
In the final moments, Verstappen showed his muscle by setting a 1’34”742 on used tires and finishing the session in first place, ahead of Leclerc, Norris, Sainz and Piastri.
Behind, a big surprise: Lewis Hamilton, after finishing second in the Sprint, was not able to advance to Q2 after making a mistake at turn 14. Those eliminated were: Guanyu Zhou, Kevin Magnussen, Lewis Hamilton, Yuki Tsunoda and Logan Sargeant. Sergio Pérez has passed in fifteenth place.
Q2
Q1 has left us with all kinds of emotions… and there were still two more sessions to go! The second has been presented with the most ‘rubberized’ asphalt and has dropped to 34 degrees of temperature.
There was no rush in this case. More than two minutes have passed until the first driver has left the Pit-Lane. Nico Hülkenberg was in charge of launching the timing this time and he did so with a time of 1’34”979.
Fernando Alonso appeared shortly after with a good time of 1’34”801, but the two McLarens improved it and Max Verstappen started directly with an impressive time of 1’33”946.
Carlos Sainz was preparing to close his first lap, but he left the last corner too wide and lost control of his car, hitting – not too hard – against the protections and causing a red flag. The good news is that, despite the damage, he was able to resume driving and return to the Pit-Lane.
The action resumed with 6’44” ahead and, of course, almost everything has changed: Verstappen improved to 1’33”794 to finish the session at the top, followed by Pérez. But it is worth noting that Sainz has recovered to be third, a few thousandths ahead of Leclerc. Alonso, seventh.
Behind, Valtteri Bottas has thrown out Lance Stroll by a matter of thousandths and the others eliminated were Daniel Ricciardo, Esteban Ocon, Alexander Albon and Pierre Gasly.
Q3
After two spectacular sessions, it was time to face the third to define the ‘top 10’ of tomorrow’s grid. The track, increasingly faster and at a temperature of 33 degrees.
George Russell and Nico Hülkenberg had to go out on their first attempt with used soft tires; the rest –except Bottas, who has not come out–, with new tires.
In the first attempt, Max Verstappen was the fastest with a time of 1’33”977, but Fernando Alonso surprised everyone by placing second with a 1’34”371.
The Spaniard beat Sergio Pérez by almost a tenth and also left the McLaren and Ferrari behind. Carlos Sainz, despite not doing a brilliant lap, was ahead of Charles Leclerc.
The last attempt was still missing, the final one, but Verstappen gave no options to the rest by improving his time to 1’33”660. The Pole, for him. And Pérez has sealed the double for Red Bull… but by just one tenth over Fernando Alonso who has shone again to be third.
Behind Alonso, the McLarens and the Ferraris – ‘ordered’ -. Lando Norris was fourth, ahead of Oscar Piastri, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. These five drivers, separated by less than a tenth and a half! Sainz recovered well after the slight blow in Q2, but he could only be seventh. George Russell, Nico Hülkenberg and Valtteri Bottas completed the top 10.
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