Lewis Hamilton took advantage of the wet weather in qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix Sprint race by going second quickest to start alongside Lando Norris on the front row
Lewis Hamilton is praying for more rain ahead of Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix.
The seven-time F1 champion was second-quickest in qualifying for Saturday’s Sprint race, behind only compatriot Lando Norris. The Britons flew while Max Verstappen and Red Bull were out of sorts in the changeable Shanghai conditions.
But Hamilton admitted afterwards that, without the rain, Mercedes still don’t have the pace to compete. He said: “I’m so happy – as soon as I saw the rain coming I got excited because, in dry conditions, we’re not quick enough.
“When the rain came in I thought I’d have a better opportunity, and that’s when it all came together. It depends what the conditions [for the Sprint race] will be.
“If it’s like that, maybe we’ll have a chance of being somewhere up there. But if it’s dry, naturally the Ferraris and Red Bulls will come by. Maybe we can hold off some of the others.”
For a few seconds, Hamilton thought he had done enough to secure pole himself. Then Norris leapfrogged him to top the timesheets – but soon had that time deleted for a track limits violation.
But there was a fresh twist again as, soon after, Norris’ place at the top was restored and his lap time reinstated. It was initially chalked off because he had gone over the white line on the exit of the final corner before starting that flying lap – an offence which usually sees the subsequent time deleted.
