Lewis Hamilton on pole for Chinese Grand Prix after edging out Sebastian Vettel in qualifying in Shanghai
Brit on pole for Sunday's race after getting the better of Ferrari driver
LEWIS HAMILTON dished out six of the best to Sebastian Vettel to take pole position for the Chinese Grand Prix.
The Brit has now made it six consecutive front-row starts and this blistering lap in Shanghai earned him his sixth pole in China.
Incredibly, his achievement also made it 75 poles in 150 races for his Mercedes team, as they secured a crucial place on the grid ahead of Ferrari.
Hamilton said: “The Ferrari looked so fast and we knew it was going to be close, and we knew we had to pull out all the tops and I managed to do a very, very perfect lap.
“It started off not as good as the first lap, maybe because of tyre temperature, but it got better and better. It felt strong, and coming into the last corner knowing I was up a couple of tenths, it’s always nervous because you want to gain some but you don’t want to lose everything you’ve gained.
“It’s exciting for me because we’re really fighting with the guys and that is what racing is all about. It pushes you to raise the bar every time you go out, which I love.”
Hamilton arrived in China hungry to make up for his disappointment in Australia where Vettel won the opening race of the season.
And he wasted no time, as he took provisional pole as he dialled in his Mercedes from the start, as Vettel could not improve on the Brit’s time with his first attempt.
And he bettered the time with his second go, and while Vettel went close to snatch second with a time at was 0.001s faster than Valtteri Bottas, who starts third.
Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen starts fourth while McLaren’s Fernando Alonso had to settle for 13th on the grid, despite “driving like an animal” in his under-performing car.
While Max Verstappen was an early casualty in Q1 after he complained of engine trouble with his Red Bull.
The Dutch driver struggled for pace and needed a last-gasp lap to try and stay in qualifying but a huge smash for Sauber’s Antonio Giovinazzi stopped Verstappen’s efforts.
The Italian’s smash was so severe on the home straight the final section of the track was nullified meaning Verstappen had to abort his lap.
While the accident ironically meant Giovinazzi made it into Q2 himself, it did mean that Esteban Ocon, Stoffel Vandoorne, Romain Groskean and Jolyon Palmer were eliminated alongside Verstappen.
Palmer, who was on a flying lap when Giovinazzi’s accident brought out the speed limits, groaned: “The lap was easier good enough for Q2.
“I was miles up and I heard it was double yellows and I could not believe it. It is a shame. I know there is pace in the car, it was feeling good, so it is really frustrating.”