Why you shouldn’t miss the Chinese Grand Prix sprint

A kind of appetizer in view of the Grand Prix on Sunday morning (8 a.m., French time). A dress rehearsal before the main race. Or a race of all dangers? See it as you like, but this sprint race will be 19 laps not to be missed. While sprints have been controversial since their introduction in 2021, often rightly so, tomorrow’s race in Shanghai might silence more than a few.

Hamilton on pole

The first reason to watch this race, unsurprisingly, is the pole of the seven-time world champion. The first with Ferrari. Even though it doesn’t really count as a pole position. We expected McLaren to be in front, yet Hamilton took advantage of the British team’s drivers’ mishaps to snatch first place from his teammates. Tomorrow, even if McLaren’s superior race pace should take precedence, nothing is set in stone. There’s no doubt that Hamilton will fight to defend his leading position. And it must be admitted that seeing the Briton defend a potential first victory in red is exciting.

« I wasn’t expecting this result. I am in shock. It’s incredible to stop in front of sign No. 1 in a red car », said Lewis Hamilton at the end of this sprint qualifying.

The comeback of McLaren?

He will also have to monitor the McLarens’ return to the forefront. Oscar Piastri (3rd) and Lando Norris (6th) should take advantage of their car’s good pace to catch up with the leaders. Unless this sprint qualification actually indicates a slight drop in performance. In any case, Lando Norris will have the most work to do starting from 6th position. Ahead of him are experienced drivers: Charles Leclerc, George Russell, and Max Verstappen. It remains to be seen how the McLaren will perform. Although only a few points will be distributed on Saturday, they could be significant at the end of the season. Nothing should be left to chance.

Max Verstappen, the poison

Again him and always him. Already close to victory in Melbourne last weekend, the quadruple Dutch world champion did it again on Friday morning. To everyone’s surprise, he slipped into second place just behind Lewis Hamilton, by only a few thousandths. Despite his Red Bull having issues, this does not prevent him from overcoming them to gain valuable positions. A true champion.

It will be necessary to keep an eye on him during the sprint race. Starting on the front row with Hamilton, there might be a bit of friction. These two have a history. As usual, Max Verstappen won’t give an inch on track. With Piastri behind and a potential comeback from Norris, the race could turn into a gladiatorial battle.

From the battle behind

Other drivers are likely to offer us a great show on the track. Charles Leclerc starts 4th, George Russell 5th, and Andrea Kimi Antonelli 7th. A great sprint qualifying for the 18-year-old Italian rookie. It will be necessary to evaluate the performance of the Mercedes on the track to see if a comeback is possible. Also, watch out for Leclerc. The Monegasque driver is very close to the leaders. With a good start, he could catch up to his teammate starting on pole sooner than expected.

For the last points awarded (up to 8th place), Yuki Tsunoda and Alex Albon will be present in the battle. With 19 laps to go, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them catch up to the drivers ahead of them.

This first sprint race of the season promises to be exciting. Tune in at 4 o’clock sharp for the start.