Risk-taking Norris in pole for sprint race

SHANGHAI McLaren’s Lando Norris was pleased to beat Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton to pole position for the Chinese Grand Prix sprint race, as rain played havoc with a tricky” qualifying in Shanghai on April 19.

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Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso was third with championship leader Max Verstappen of Red Bull in fourth.

“It was tricky, you are always nervous going into a session like this. You just have to risk a lot, push and build tyre temperature and what not,” said Norris.

“T’m happy, sad it’s not for a proper qualifying, but good enough. You get only three laps. The first two I aborted on both, so it was all or nothing, a good position for tomorrow.”

Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez was in sixth, splitting the Ferraris of Carlos Sainz in fifth and seventh-placed Charles Leclerc, who survived a spin on the wet track.