Rain emerged at the end of the SQ2 session and continued to pepper the Shanghai circuit during the intermission, necessitating the use of intermediate tyres for the final stage of qualifying to decide pole.
Track conditions were evidently very slippery, as a number of drivers over-extended beyond the circuit’s environs and had to recover from the run-off; Charles Leclerc hit the wall after spinning on the exit of Turn 8, but was able to gather up his Ferrari and stopped for a new front wing and warmer, fresher intermediates.
Oscar Piastri got the session off with a lap above the two-minute mark, which was beaten by Sergio Perez, as the Red Bull driver led the line to begin with.
Fernando Alonso then supplanted the Mexican, posting a 2m00.213s to ensure he could factor in the fight for pole, but this was subsequently beaten by the first sub-two-minute lap from Lewis Hamilton, who claimed a 1m59.321s.
Norris had gone off on the lap prior to a mighty 1m57.940s, which had thrust the Briton into provisional pole, but this was then subject to an unexplained deletion.
Hamilton thus looked in line for pole and a 1m59.201s follow-up appeared to cement that, but Norris’ time was reinstated and ensured an all-British front row for Saturday’s sprint race.
Alonso was third fastest over Max Verstappen, who endured a number of wayward moments before finally stitching a clean lap together with his final effort of the session.
Carlos Sainz and Perez locked out the third row ahead of Leclerc, who recovered enough to set a time, while Piastri could only manage eighth fastest. The two Saubers of Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu completed the top 10.
The start of SQ2 faced a minor delay as, like FP1, the grass lining the circuit spontaneously combusted and needed to be extinguished. With rain due, the drivers got their elbows out when the pit exit light eventually went green to preserve track position, although neither Red Bull fancied joining the skirmish.
Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38
Photo by: Mark Sutton
George Russell dropped to 11th when the times had shaken out and, despite opting to go for another lap, the rain finally emerged and sapped at his time in the opening sector.
He was six tenths adrift of Zhou’s cut-off benchmark and had to abandon his effort to purloin the Chinese driver’s SQ3 berth – sending the home crowd into audible raptures.
Kevin Magnussen outqualified Haas team-mate Nico Hulkenberg as the two took 12th and 13th on the sprint race grid, while Daniel Ricciardo and free practice leader Lance Stroll also fell short on their single flying laps.
Spots of rain were evident in SQ1, although appeared to have little effect on the times escalating throughout the first stage of sprint qualifying.
Russell staged a late escape from the elimination zone in SQ1 having dropped to the bottom of the order, finding three tenths in the final sector over the cut-off time from Pierre Gasly to squeak through into the next round.
This dumped Gasly into the bottom five, ensuring that he joined Alpine team-mate Esteban Ocon in being eliminated in the opening stage of the session.
Alex Albon dropped out in 18th, the two Williams drivers split by Yuki Tsunoda as Logan Sargeant was bottom of the pile at the chequered flag.
Tsunoda had not been able to set a somewhat representative time until his final run, but could not find enough in hand to join RB team-mate Ricciardo into SQ2 as he struggled with a lap of grip.
F1 Chinese GP sprint qualifying results
SQ3
SQ2
SQ1