Chinese GP: Lewis Hamilton’s Sprint victory sparks Ferrari’s hopes despite Shanghai qualifying struggles

The Chinese Grand Prix weekend started on a high note for Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari.

After struggling in Australia, the seven-time world champion seemed more at ease with the SF-25 as soon as he hit the track in Shanghai.

Hamilton looked competitive from the outset, finishing Free Practice in P4 and securing pole position for the Sprint race.

A Sprint mission accomplished

When the lights went out on Saturday, he was a man on a mission, chasing his and Ferrari’s first-ever Sprint win.

His getaway was clean, and he maintained his lead ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri.

With everyone on Medium tyres, the Sprint race hinted at how tyre degradation could affect the main event on Sunday.

The clockwise layout of the Shanghai International Circuit put additional stress on the front left tyres, which were already suffering from graining due to the new track surface.

Drivers across the grid struggled, with McLaren’s Lando Norris particularly affected as he dropped down the order

Even Hamilton, Verstappen, and Piastri had to manage their tyres carefully as they followed each other out front.

Tactical brilliance and tyre mastery

At one point during the Sprint, Verstappen closed the gap to Hamilton, but it has since emerged that this was all part of Hamilton’s strategy.

According to Canal+, Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur explained that Hamilton intentionally allowed Verstappen to close in to wear down the Red Bull driver’s tyres, leaving him vulnerable to Piastri.

The move paid off, as Piastri overtook Verstappen for P2, with Hamilton comfortably maintaining his lead.

Hamilton crossed the line 6.8 seconds ahead of Piastri, securing his first Sprint win and Ferrari’s as well.

His tyre management was key - a hallmark of the Brit’s driving throughout his career.

"People just love to be negative at any opportunity. Even with the smallest things, they'll just be negative about it,” Hamilton said after the Sprint win.

"That's just the difficult time that we're living in.

"I see certain individuals - and again, I don't read the news, but I see bits here and there - see people that I've admired for years just talking out of turn.

“Clearly some of them really just making uneducated guesses of what's going on, just a real lack of appreciation.

"The amount of critics and people I've heard yapping along the way just clearly not understanding. Maybe because they never had the experience or just unaware.”

READ MORE: Chinese GP: Lewis Hamilton’s first Ferrari pole highlights a resurgent weekend in Shanghai

Ferrari’s struggles in Grand Prix qualifying

Despite their strong Sprint performance, Ferrari’s pace faded during Grand Prix qualifying.

Q1 and Q2 were challenging for both Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, though they improved slightly in Q3.

Ultimately, the Scuderia locked out the third row, with Hamilton in P5 and Leclerc in P6.

Hamilton reflected on the challenges they faced:

“We started really optimistic naturally, but then we made just a couple of small changes, tweaks to the car, and it really put the car on a knife edge,” he said via Autosport.

“I think the wind picked up a little bit as well, so the car was just trickier today. It was harder to put laps together.

You want a car that’s balanced. At the moment, from one corner to the next, the car has a different balance.

“You just want a car that you can rely on. When you attack the corners, you know it’s going to stay with you instead of lock-up and go on or snap into oversteer and, when it’s unpredictable, then you’ve got no hope.”

Still, Hamilton remained optimistic after his Sprint success:

“Getting my first Sprint pole and then win in a Ferrari was such a special feeling,” he said.

“The car felt strong, and we managed to bring everything together to cross the line first and bring home some good points for the team. The reaction from the crowd was just incredible.

“Qualifying was tougher, and we didn’t get the most out of the car over a lap today, but clearly we have the potential, and now it’s about working hard to make sure we can consistently unlock that pace across a weekend.

“The taste of winning has made us all even hungrier, and although it will be tough tomorrow, we know the work we need to do.”

Leclerc’s setup woes and optimism for race day

On the other side of the garage, Leclerc had a more difficult weekend.

The Monegasque revealed that he had opted for a different setup than Hamilton’s but was considering switching to Hamilton’s configuration for the remainder of the weekend.

After Grand Prix qualifying, Leclerc told Canal+ that partially adopting Hamilton’s setup gave him a better feel for the car and that he expected stronger race pace on Sunday.

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Vasseur’s verdict and race strategy focus

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur highlighted the challenges posed by the new track surface and tyre degradation, which would be critical in Sunday’s race.

“This morning’s 19 laps demonstrated that tyre management will be absolutely crucial tomorrow, given the characteristics of the new track surface in Shanghai,” Vasseur stated.

“Today’s qualifying was really difficult to read, and several teams, including ourselves, experienced a swing in performance.

“We were strong in Q1 before struggling in Q2, and in Q3, we came within three-tenths of pole, most of the time lost in the final sector.

“Of course, we would have preferred to have qualified better because, even if you have good pace, we saw in the Sprint that running in dirty air causes your tyres to suffer a lot more.

“The race will be all about strategy, and we must be ready to take advantage of any situations that arise.

“The field looks very close, and overnight, we will work on ensuring we are in the best possible shape to bring home another good points haul to add to the 12 from today.”

A taste of victory - and challenges ahead

Hamilton’s Sprint victory was a morale boost for Ferrari, but with tyre degradation and race strategy set to play decisive roles on Sunday, the Scuderia will need to dig deep to stay competitive.

For Hamilton, the win has only fueled his and Ferrari’s hunger for more success - and they’ll be looking to capitalise when the lights go out once again.

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