WATCH: Ferrari garage erupts after Lewis Hamilton’s stunning pole position result in China for the sprint race

Ferrari engineers enthusiastically celebrated Lewis Hamilton's pole victory at the sprint shootout of the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix. As the Brit crossed the checkered flag with the fastest lap of 1:30.849 minutes, his team members couldn't control their excitement

Scuderia Ferrari endured a difficult outing at the 2025 season opener in Australia last week. In wet conditions, both Hamilton and Charles Leclerc struggled to control the car, finishing P10 and P8, respectively.

However, in Shanghai, the Italian team restarted the season on a clean slate. On Friday, March 21, the Shanghai track was evolving, allowing Hamilton and Leclerc to push the limits of their SF-25.

In Q3 of the sprint shootout, Hamilton's direct competition was the McLaren and Red Bull. However, the 40-year-old used his skills to put in a flyer lap, good enough to put him on pole for the sprint race. He also broke the record for the fastest lap recorded in Shanghai track history.

Meanwhile, as Lewis Hamilton crossed the checkered flag with a final time of 1:30.849 minutes, he saw his rival, Max Verstappen, fall behind to P2, with a difference of less than two hundredths of a second (1:30.867).

As Hamilton was declared the pole winner for the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix sprint race, Ferrari engineers erupted in celebration in the garage. They shook hands and hugged each other taking in the big moment. Hamilton also went to hug his dad, Anthony Hamilton, after the sprint shootout and greeted his team on the sidelines.

That being said, the seven-time world champion's pole win comes less than a week after he struggled massively in Australia. In wet conditions, he found no substantial pace and barely made it to P10 at the Albert Park Circuit. Regardless, the Chinese GP offers Ferrari and Hamilton an opportunity to get a fresh start.

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Fred Vasseur reacts to Lewis Hamilton's pole win in China: 'I always see the negative'

Lewis Hamilton at F1 Grand Prix Of China - Sprint Qualifying - Source: Getty

Lewis Hamilton has delivered a noteworthy performance in a Ferrari suit as he clinched pole in the sprint shootout of the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix. However, team principal Fred Vasseur is keeping his expectations in check for the weekend ahead in Shanghai.

Talking to Sky Sports, Vasseur said (via Crash.net):

“It’s better than last week. But it’s still difficult to read and to understand, from one session to the other. Sometimes McLaren has a huge gap; sometimes it is not so. For sure, it’s a good feeling if you compare with last week, where we struggled a lot in quali and in the race.

It gives positive energy to the team, and this is good. But I always see the negative. We can score points this weekend in the sprint, and this is positive. Lewis (had consistency in qualifying), and this is good.”

Initially, McLaren seemed to be quicker during the sprint shootout on Friday. However, Lando Norris' and Oscar Piastri's errors on the final lap allowed Hamilton to secure the pole.