2025 F1 Chinese GP Sprint Shootout: Winners and Losers

The 2025 F1 Chinese GP sprint shootout saw Lewis Hamilton shock the world by securing his first pole position with Ferrari. He was under some pressure coming into the weekend, but the ability to keep the car in the right window helped him nail everything and spring a surprise.

In what looks like a throwback to 2021, Hamilton would be lined up alongside Max Verstappen on the front row with Oscar Piastri and George Russell occupying the second row. The qualification was a disappointing one overall for McLaren, as Lando Norris could only achieve a P6 starting position.

As the session comes to an end and teams get ready to prepare for the F1 Chinese GP sprint, who would be happy with the kind of shootout they had and who would be a bit disappointed? Let's take a look.

2025 F1 Chinese GP Sprint Shootout

Winner

Lewis Hamilton

We have to take a few things into context here. Lewis Hamilton came into the weekend already under pressure after a bit of blowback in the media for his conduct with his race engineer. His comment about Max Verstappen and his race engineer was not well received either.

To add to this, he had a deficit to Charles Leclerc in Australia, which was expected but was not a good look regardless. However, the response from Hamilton has been brilliant. He's got his first pole with Ferrari and also got the better of his teammate.

And more importantly, the seven-time champion can relax a little as the doubters would take a step back from questioning what he can do in the car. The job is not done, however, as the F1 Chinese GP sprint could potentially be an important milestone for the driver, and he could pick up his first win with Ferrari.

Loser

McLaren

Coming into the F1 Chinese GP race weekend, many had already declared McLaren to be the favorite. Lando Norris did, however, caution against it as he talked about how tough the car is to drive. The qualifying session showed just that as both drivers struggled on their second run on the soft tires.

At its peak, McLaren might just be the best car on the grid, but the F1 Chinese GP showed that this car does have a few chinks in its armor.

Winner

Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen is making sure that in every session, be it qualifying or the race, he's extracting the best from the car. Talking to the media afterward, Verstappen termed the result a surprise, as he felt that the car was not capable of such a result.

Whether that is a reality or not is entirely up to anybody's guess, but at the same time, the Dutch driver is making sure that he uses his consistency to stay in the game and collect as many points as he can every race weekend.

Loser

Charles Leclerc

Charles Leclerc was not too happy with his lap after the F1 Chinese GP sprint shootout, but it's safe to say that the driver was never in the same ballpark as his teammate Lewis Hamilton. The driver has chased the legend throughout qualifying, and that was quite obvious in the end.

This session is Hamilton throwing down the gauntlet within Ferrari, and if Charles Leclerc is not careful, the momentum shifts very quickly in the sport.

Winner

The rookies

Jack Doohan needed this result as he had a sword hanging over his head with Franco Colapinto waiting on the sidelines. The Argentine is undoubtedly going to get an opportunity soon enough, but for Jack to fulfill the promise he showed in Australia is crucial for him.

The same goes for Ollie Bearman, who had a torrid run in Australia. Outqualifying Esteban Ocon is no mean feat, and the young driver achieved that well. The F1 Chinese GP sprint shootout was a good showing for Gabriel Bortoleto as well, as the Brazilian driver made sure he beat his experienced teammate once in qualifying.

It is these little glimpses that are going to help these drivers gain experience in the long run and have a level of confidence going forward.

Loser

The old guard

This one will hurt! The likes of Ocon, Hulkenberg, and Gasly are not necessarily bad drivers, but losing out to the younger lot is not necessarily a good look, especially if you're trying to be the team leader. For Gasly particularly, he needs to be careful because Flavio Briatore did admit that he wasn't a fan of him prior to meeting him in Alpine.

If Doohan does end up beating him a few times in the next few races, it could even be the French driver who is being swapped for Franco Colapinto.