Qualifying at the Chinese Grand Prix has delivered a shock result, with Lewis Hamilton made to pay for a big mistake as he was eliminated in Q1.
It came after Hamilton went deep at the Turn 14 hairpin, qualifying 18th fastest, while Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu made the same mistake and was also eliminated as a result.
“That is seriously painful,” Sky Sports F1’s Nico Rosberg said.
“In 18th position is Lewis. You know the wind is coming from the back there at that part of the track. He had a great lap until then. It was really unnecessary to push the limit and as a seven-time world champion that is a mistake which should be unavoidable.
“It’s three metres too late and he had the brake balance too far forward. He lost at least four tenths which easily would have put him in Q2. That’s a disaster.”
Every practice, qualifying session and race from the 2024 FIA Formula One World Championship™ LIVE in 4K. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial Today >
Logan Sargeant, Yuki Tsunoda and Kevin Magnussen were the other three drivers eliminated in Q1, with Australian Daniel Ricciardo producing a strong last lap to out-qualify his RB teammate for the first time this season.
That was despite some early drama for Ricciardo, as he reported smoke from the front right brake on his car.
But the team was able to address the issue and get Ricciardo back out on the track in time to progress through to Q2.
Q2, however, came to a halt with 6:44 on the clock as Carlos Sainz spun at the final corner and collided with the barrier to bring out a red flag.
Fortunately the collision was not at high-speed, meaning not only Sainz was alright but the car was somehow able to get moving again, with the Spaniard later going to the pits with a missing front wing.
Elsewhere, Alex Albon clashed with Sergio Perez early in qualifying, with the Red Bull driver fuming after the Williams appeared to get in his way at Turn 1.
“What the f*** was that?” Perez said over team radio, with Albon responding that he tried to get out of the way “as much” as he could.
“There was no way I could have got out of the way more,” he added.
There was some breaking news before qualifying itself, with Fernando Alonso handed a 10-second time penalty and three penalty points for causing a collision with Carlos Sainz at turn nine in the sprint.
The pair were fighting for third place at the time when they made contact, with Alonso suffering a puncture which saw him retire from the sprint while Sainz’s car also was damaged in the incident.
Follow along for the latest updates from qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix!
Source Agencies
