2024-04-23 13:10:25
And Max Verstappen unexpectedly failed to cope with the rainy track! The current champion is not even in the top 3.
As İdman.biz reports with reference to the “Championship”, Formula 1 has not been in Shanghai for five years, but in the 2024 season, the Chinese circuit returned to the World Championship calendar – and immediately in a new format with a sprint. And the main event of Friday at the Chinese Grand Prix was qualifying for the short race on Saturday.
SQ1: Russell vs Alpine
At the start of the first segment of the shutdown, rain began to pour over the track, and therefore the pilots tried to show a fast lap as early as possible. However, it never really rained – the weather did not interfere with the balance of power.
Nevertheless, already in the first segment George Russell almost crashed out – the Briton was inferior to Pierre Gasly’s schedule in the last minutes, but was able to get ahead of the Frenchman in the final sector and send him to the relegation zone – to Esteban Ocon, who, unlike his partner, had a new bottom.
The Williams pilots could not advance either – Alex Albon showed the 18th time, and Logan Sargent closed the protocols. Yuki Tsunoda was located between them – this time the Japanese lost to Daniel Ricciardo by more than half a second.
SQ2: It still rained
In the second segment, the struggle actually ended ahead of schedule – the rain promised by weather forecasters still came a couple of minutes before the end of SQ2. As a result, George Russell, who fought to the last, was unable to complete another fast lap and remained in 11th place – outside the final segment.
Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg took 12th and 13th places, Daniel Ricciardo took 14th place, and Lance Stroll completed the timesheets. Note that the Canadian lost to Fernando Alonso, who took eighth position, by 0.56 seconds.
But the Kick-Sauber drivers were pleased – both Bottas and Zhou, to the delight of local fans, broke into SQ3. Moreover, Guanyu was ahead of Russell by only 0.038 seconds.
SQ3: Battle in the Rain
By the start of the final segment, the rain had not stopped, and the drivers left the pits on “intermediate” tires. Nevertheless, Charles Leclerc still could not stay on the track – the Monegasque’s Ferrari was washed away in turn eight. The car reached the bump stop, and Leclerc had to go get a new wing.
Max Verstappen, who is usually great in such conditions, did not always stay on the track. The Dutchman spun out in turn six, prompting the judges to take a lap off him, and on his next attempt he crashed out in the final turn.
Meanwhile, Lando Norris took first place, but his lap was also disqualified for violating the boundaries of the track, but then the Briton once again drove the fastest and still staked his claim on the sprint pole. Moreover, this circle was also taken away from Lando, but then quickly restored.
Formula 1 2024. Stage 5, Shanghai, China
Chinese Grand Prix. Sprint qualifying
April 19, 2024, Friday.
1. Lando Norris
McLaren
1:57.940
2. Lewis Hamilton
Mercedes AMG F1
+1.261
3. Fernando Alonso
Aston Martin
+1.975
The second time was left to Hamilton, Alonso closed the top three, and Verstappen at the end of the session was only able to show the fourth time. Behind were Sainz, Perez and Leclerc, who took seventh position. Piastri qualified eighth, and the top 10 was completed by the Kick-Sauber drivers: Bottas was ninth, Zhou was 10th.
The Chinese Grand Prix Sprint starts on Saturday, April 20 at 7:00.
İdman.biz