Qualifying in Shanghai was expected to be straightforward, but the sprint and preliminary sessions quickly established the running order. George Russell continued to dominate throughout, while his teammate Kimi Antonelli remained consistently close behind.
Ferrari and McLaren competed for positions, attempting to challenge Mercedes, but on the short sprint distances the advantage remained with the German team. Pirelli supplied the C2, C3, and C4 compounds (Hard, Medium, and Soft), which proved influential: the Medium tyres wore quickly, while the Soft compound was only effective for one or two flying laps.
In the final phase of qualifying, Russell encountered a technical issue and was unable to complete his first flying lap, allowing Antonelli to set the fastest time of 1:32.064. As a result, Kimi Antonelli secured his first career pole position, becoming the youngest pole-sitter in Formula 1 history.
Russell finished just two-tenths behind his teammate, giving Mercedes a complete front-row lockout. The second row will be occupied by Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris (McLaren) starting from the third row.
