How Chinese Grand Prix qualifying unfolded

Max Verstappen was in imperious form as he took pole position for the Chinese Grand Prix, leading Sergio Perez to a Red Bull one-two.

Fresh from winning the first sprint race of the season earlier, Verstappen was 0.322 seconds clear of Perez.

The Mexican pipped Fernando Alonso's Aston Martin by 0.166secs with McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri next.

Lewis Hamilton had a dire day, qualifying 18th.

His Mercedes team-mate George Russell was eighth behind Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.

Read the full report here.

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Here's Sebastian Vettel celebrating Red Bull's first-ever pole position in China back in 2009...

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... and here's Max Verstappen securing Red Bull's 100th at the same circuit.

And also evergreen Fernando Alonso in the top three for both - 15 years apart.

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Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso will start the Chinese Grand Prix in third, he said: “We didn't give up, we kept pushing all the way through the lap and I set a good lap time, I think the car did improve since this morning. We made a few set-up changes, let's see tomorrow if we can translate that into points."

On the new Parc Ferme opening, he added: "I think it's the same for everybody you can't change the car completely because you are in the rhythm of the weekend but you can still make some small set-up changes, some of them are just for balance but some are just guesses that you go into tomorrow fresh and you just flip the coin. Until tomorrow, we will not know the answer but extremely happy and proud of the team, we are not giving up."

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Sergio Perez, who finished second in qualifying: "It was very intense. I nearly got knocked out in Q1 because of traffic. I just made it through. Q2 I could get some rhythm into the balance, unfortunately in the end it was just not enough to get Max but overall a tremendous result.

"Everything to play for tomorrow. We can definitely have a strong rhythm. We showed today we have a good pace in the long run so I look forward to tomorrow."

Max Verstappen, who earned his 37th career pole, said: “I think after the sprint race it gave us a few more ideas about the car and I think the car worked even better in qualifying now, so definitely very happy with how qualifying went, the car was really nice to drive. That final lap in Q3 felt really decent and also very happy to drive here as well in the dry, the conditions were pretty good and it was a lot of fun.”

On the track evolution, he added: “I think also coming out of the race when you go back to low fuel you have to get comfortable again and of course new tyres are getting put on every single time, so you can find a little bit more in every corner. Besides my first run in Q3, every time we were going a bit faster, I think the track evolution wasn't that massive around here but that's fine."

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This was Red Bull's 100th pole position, coming 15 years after they secured their first on this same circuit.

That pole in 2009, claimed by Sebastian Vettel, was converted into their first F1 win and first one-two finish.

A really exciting Q3, the fight for second, third, fourth was fantastic. I'm surprised that the Ferraris are down in sixth and seventh but a great job by Alonso as always.

It is five pole positions out of five for Max Verstappen in 2024.

He is the first driver since since Mika Hakkinen in 1999 to record the first five pole positions of the season.

1) Verstappen

2) Perez

3) Alonso

4) Norris

5) Piastri

6) Leclerc

7) Sainz

8) Russell

9) Hulkenberg

10) Bottas

Then Fernando Alonso goes second, before Sergio Perez nudges him down too and he is on the front row.

Here comes Lando Norris and he leaps into second and onto the front row.

Carlos Sainz is up into second but it is a short stay as he is nudged down by Charles Leclerc.

George Russell, meanwhile, is sixth quickest.

Everybody is out there now so we will see what they've all got in these last two minutes. Max Verstappen looking to make it five poles from five qualifyings this season.

Carlos Sainz kicks off these final flying laps.

Jeremiah Kariuki: Alonso is the flying Spaniard of Q3. A massive lap for him there. Pray he keeps it after the second runs.

Three minutes are on the clock as drivers start heading back out.

Something weird is going on with those Ferraris, the timing screens are telling us that they are on new tyres for that lap, but how can they be, they are more than seven-tenths off.