Oscar Piastri took the first Grand Prix pole position of his F1 career, topping the order in Qualifying in China.
The McLaren driver had been unable to challenge at the top in the first two phases of Qualifying, but took charge in Q3 with two laps that were both fast enough to put him at the front of the grid.
George Russell put in a last-gasp effort to deny McLaren a front row lock-out, falling 0.082s short of Piastri and pushing Lando Norris back to third.
Piastri's 1m 30.641s is a new circuit record, toppling Lewis Hamilton's Sprint Qualifying best, by 0.208s - the time also 3.019s faster than Max Verstappen's 2024 pole lap.
Click go on the video player above to ride onboard with Piastri for his flying lap in China.
Next Up
Related Articles
Ferrari hope to put Mercedes ‘under more pressure’ in China
Facts, stats and trivia ahead of the 2026 Chinese GP
UnlockedQUIZ: 10 tricky questions on F1 history in China
Albon insists Williams have 'clear strategy' to improve
5 reasons why you should be watching the F1 ACADEMY season opener
What is the weather forecast for the Chinese Grand Prix?