Lewis Hamilton expressed his satisfaction after securing the third position in the qualifying session for the Chinese Grand Prix. He expressed his happiness at starting from P3 for Sunday’s race and acknowledged the hard work put in by Ferrari to narrow the gap to Mercedes since the Australian Grand Prix.
During the Australian GP qualifying, Ferrari was over 0.8 seconds behind George Russell’s Mercedes. However, they managed to reduce the gap to around 0.4 seconds in China, with Hamilton claiming the third spot behind Kimi Antonelli and Russell.
Hamilton described the qualifying session as tough due to the windy conditions at the Shanghai International Circuit. He emphasized the challenge of putting a lap together but expressed gratitude for securing the third spot alongside Antonelli and Russell.
Regarding Ferrari’s progress, Hamilton acknowledged their rapid pace in the season but credited the engineers for bridging the gap to Mercedes. He viewed the progress as a positive development moving forward.
Reflecting on the Chinese GP Sprint, Hamilton mentioned learning a lot during the race, particularly from his wheel-to-wheel battle with George Russell for the lead. He expressed eagerness to have more fun during the main race on Sunday and aimed for his first podium since joining Ferrari in 2025.
In a separate interview, George Russell anticipated a competitive start to the Chinese GP, expecting Hamilton to be aggressive at the beginning of the race. Russell highlighted the threat posed by the Ferrari drivers, especially considering their strong performance in the Sprint.
Russell emphasized the need to watch out for Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, given their quick starts in previous races. He recalled their fierce competition with him during the Sprint and anticipated a similar challenge on Sunday.
As both Mercedes and Ferrari drivers geared up for the main race, the stage was set for an intense battle at the front of the grid. With Hamilton and Russell eyeing victory and Ferrari determined to maintain their momentum, the Chinese Grand Prix promised to deliver high-speed action and thrilling moments on the track.
