PAINT THE TOWN RED- Chinese Grand Prix Sprint Review

Sprint Qualifying – A 2021 Flashback No One Expected

If you told F1 fans they’d get a Lewis Hamilton vs. Max Verstappen pole battle in 2025, they’d have laughed you off the internet. And yet, here we are. The two rivals, in cars that were not the fastest on the grid, somehow pulled magic out of nowhere, separated by just a few hundredths. It was vintage Hamilton vs. Verstappen—no toe-to-toe racing, just pure one-lap brilliance.

Ferrari nailed Hamilton’s setup, but on the other side of the garage, Charles Leclerc seemed to have lost the plot. And speaking of lost causes, let’s address the Red Bull second seat situation—because at this point, it feels like a cursed position. Christian Horner surely didn’t bring in Liam Lawson to perform like Sergio Pérez, or worse. Yet, here we are.

McLaren? A disappointment. Oscar Piastri put in a solid lap, but both he and Lando Norris flopped on their final runs. While Hamilton and Verstappen elevated their performances, the McLaren duo did the opposite. And then Norris called the car “undrivable”—not exactly the kind of message you want to send to your engineers two races into the season. If McLaren wants to stay in this fight, they need to sort it out, fast.

On the brighter side, Yuki Tsunoda continues to prove that he’s seriously underrated. Two races in, and he’s been rapid. Meanwhile, rookie Gabriel Bortoleto showed flashes of brilliance—another reason why the midfield battle is shaping up to be a thriller this year.

Lewis Hamilton winning in a Ferrari? Tick that off your “things you’d never expect in 2024” list. Not only was this Hamilton’s first sprint win, but it was Ferrari’s first sprint victory ever. And how did he win it? By absolutely destroying the field, finishing 6.8 seconds ahead in just 19 laps. Any doubts about whether Hamilton still has it? Gone.

Max Verstappen gave it a go but quickly realized that his Red Bull just didn’t have the pace. Meanwhile, Piastri made sure McLaren’s tyre advantage was put to good use, hunting down Verstappen and taking P2. It took longer than expected, but he got the job done. The only problem? By the time he cleared Max, Hamilton was already halfway to the airport.

And then there was Lando Norris. Started sixth. Dropped to ninth on Lap 1. Spent the entire race stuck behind Lance Stroll. Not ideal. He managed to scrape one point, but when you have the fastest car, that’s not good enough. Norris leads Verstappen by just four points in the standings. And while Lando is struggling to maximize McLaren’s speed, Verstappen is dragging that Red Bull to places it has no business being.

Elsewhere, the midfield was absolute chaos. Pierre Gasly, Liam Lawson, Isack Hadjar, and Bortoleto put on a great show, with Lawson climbing six spots in 19 laps—a solid effort, but still nowhere near what Red Bull needs from him.

At least the sprint format gives teams a chance to reset before Sunday. Parc fermé restrictions get lifted, and everyone can make changes before the real race weekend begins.

But is that a good thing for Formula 1? Or just another way to disrupt the traditional weekend structure? That’s a debate for another day.

Get your popcorn ready.

— Lights Out