Norris time reinstated for sprint pole, Hamilton second

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-120 second 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.

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, as Daniel Ricciardo and free…