George Russell tries to thwart McLaren’s dominance, but the MCL39 has everything it takes to secure a 1-2 finish
With the Chinese Grand Prix qualifying wrapped up, some things are certain: McLaren will be the team to beat tomorrow, Russell has started 2025 as a true “captain” for Mercedes, and Ferrari is unlikely to replicate its Sprint Race results.
And the starting grid for the Chinese Grand Prix makes that crystal clear.
Chinese GP: Penalties
At the moment, no penalties have been issued for the Chinese Grand Prix. However, given his last-place finish, Red Bull might consider a setup change on Liam Lawson’s RB21.
Williams, on the other hand, had a close call. As we reported earlier today, the Grove-based team feared disqualification for several hours but eventually received only a fine.
Chinese GP: Starting Grid
Here’s the full table with times and tomorrow’s starting positions:
| Pos | Number | Driver | Car | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes | 1:31.591 | 1:31.200 | 1:30.641 | — |
| 2 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:31.295 | 1:31.307 | 1:30.723 | +0.082 |
| 3 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | 1:30.983 | 1:30.787 | 1:30.793 | +0.152 |
| 4 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 1:31.424 | 1:31.142 | 1:30.817 | +0.176 |
| 5 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:31.690 | 1:31.501 | 1:30.927 | +0.286 |
| 6 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:31.579 | 1:31.450 | 1:31.021 | +0.380 |
| 7 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT | 1:31.162 | 1:31.253 | 1:31.079 | +0.438 |
| 8 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:31.676 | 1:31.590 | 1:31.103 | +0.462 |
| 9 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT | 1:31.238 | 1:31.260 | 1:31.638 | +0.997 |
| 10 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams Mercedes | 1:31.503 | 1:31.595 | 1:31.706 | +1.065 |
| 11 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas Ferrari | 1:31.876 | 1:31.625 | — | +0.984* |
| 12 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 1:31.921 | 1:31.632 | — | +0.991* |
| 13 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:31.719 | 1:31.688 | — | +1.047* |
| 14 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:31.923 | 1:31.773 | — | +1.132* |
| 15 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams Mercedes | 1:31.628 | 1:31.840 | — | +1.199* |
| 16 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault | 1:31.992 | — | — | +1.351* |
| 17 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas Ferrari | 1:32.018 | — | — | +1.377* |
| 18 | 7 | Jack Doohan | Alpine Renault | 1:32.092 | — | — | +1.451* |
| 19 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 1:32.141 | — | — | +1.500* |
| 20 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 1:32.174 | — | — | +1.533* |
For those who didn’t make it to Q3, the gap is calculated based on their best Q1 or Q2 time (marked with an asterisk).
Chinese GP: Race Schedule
Tune in at 08:00 for the start of the Chinese Grand Prix. Pre-race coverage begins at 06:30 on Sky Sport F1.
Photo: Formula 1