2025 Chinese GP Sprint: Fastest Lap & Pace Gaps
Every car frozen on the finish line, with each gap to Lewis Hamilton’s fastest lap shown to scale in real metres. Sprint at Shanghai, round 2.
Chinese Grand Prix 2025 Sprint: what happened
Lewis Hamilton set the fastest lap for the Chinese Grand Prix 2025 Sprint with a 1:35.399 for Ferrari at Shanghai. Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) was 0.346s behind, and at racing speed that is 30.0 m of track between them as they crossed the line.
Carlos Sainz completed the top three for Williams, 0.420s off Lewis Hamilton. Across the whole classified order the field spread out to 198.2 m, from Lewis Hamilton to Jack Doohan.
The closest call of the session was between Isack Hadjar and Esteban Ocon: 0.005s apart, about 0.43 m at speed.
| # | Driver | Team | Lap time | Gap | Behind (to scale) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:35.399 | Fastest | — |
| 2 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 1:35.745 | +0.346 | 30.0 m |
| 3 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 1:35.819 | +0.420 | 36.4 m |
| 4 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:35.854 | +0.455 | 39.4 m |
| 5 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:35.891 | +0.492 | 42.6 m |
| 6 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:36.255 | +0.856 | 74.2 m |
| 7 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:36.311 | +0.912 | 79.0 m |
| 8 | Yuki Tsunoda | Racing Bulls | 1:36.388 | +0.989 | 85.7 m |
| 9 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:36.435 | +1.036 | 89.8 m |
| 10 | Nico Hulkenberg | Kick Sauber | 1:36.529 | +1.130 | 97.9 m |
| 11 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:36.708 | +1.309 | 113.4 m |
| 12 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:37.058 | +1.659 | 143.8 m |
| 13 | Oliver Bearman | Haas F1 Team | 1:37.135 | +1.736 | 150.5 m |
| 14 | Liam Lawson | Red Bull Racing | 1:37.163 | +1.764 | 152.9 m |
| 15 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 1:37.344 | +1.945 | 168.6 m |
| 16 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber | 1:37.475 | +2.076 | 179.9 m |
| 17 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:37.481 | +2.082 | 180.4 m |
| 18 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | 1:37.549 | +2.150 | 186.3 m |
| 19 | Esteban Ocon | Haas F1 Team | 1:37.554 | +2.155 | 186.8 m |
| 20 | Jack Doohan | Alpine | 1:37.686 | +2.287 | 198.2 m |
How big is the gap, really?
Lewis Hamilton set the sprint fastest lap at the Chinese Grand Prix 2025 with a 1:35.399. On the timesheet the field looks bunched into tenths, but at racing speed those tenths stretch out: from fastest lap to Jack Doohan the field covers 198.2 m.
Chinese Grand Prix 2025 Sprint: your questions
- Who set the fastest lap at the Chinese Grand Prix 2025?
- Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) set the fastest lap at the Chinese Grand Prix 2025 sprint with a 1:35.399 at Shanghai.
- What was the fastest lap at the Chinese Grand Prix 2025?
- The fastest lap of the Chinese Grand Prix 2025 sprint was a 1:35.399, set by Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) at Shanghai.
- How close was sprint at the Chinese Grand Prix 2025?
- Lewis Hamilton beat Max Verstappen to fastest lap by 0.346s. At racing speed that margin is 30.0 m of track. Across the whole field, from fastest lap to Jack Doohan in P20, the spread is 2.287s or 198.2 m.
- How far behind was Max Verstappen at the Chinese Grand Prix 2025?
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) had the 2nd-fastest lap in sprint at the Chinese Grand Prix 2025 with a 1:35.745, 0.346s behind Lewis Hamilton's fastest lap. Converted to distance at racing speed, that is 30.0 m of track behind.
- How far behind was Carlos Sainz at the Chinese Grand Prix 2025?
- Carlos Sainz (Williams) had the 3rd-fastest lap in sprint at the Chinese Grand Prix 2025 with a 1:35.819, 0.420s behind Lewis Hamilton's fastest lap. Converted to distance at racing speed, that is 36.4 m of track behind.
- How far behind was Oscar Piastri at the Chinese Grand Prix 2025?
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren) had the 4th-fastest lap in sprint at the Chinese Grand Prix 2025 with a 1:35.854, 0.455s behind Lewis Hamilton's fastest lap. Converted to distance at racing speed, that is 39.4 m of track behind.
- How far behind was George Russell at the Chinese Grand Prix 2025?
- George Russell (Mercedes) had the 5th-fastest lap in sprint at the Chinese Grand Prix 2025 with a 1:35.891, 0.492s behind Lewis Hamilton's fastest lap. Converted to distance at racing speed, that is 42.6 m of track behind.
- How far behind was Charles Leclerc at the Chinese Grand Prix 2025?
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) had the 6th-fastest lap in sprint at the Chinese Grand Prix 2025 with a 1:36.255, 0.856s behind Lewis Hamilton's fastest lap. Converted to distance at racing speed, that is 74.2 m of track behind.
- How much is a tenth of a second in metres at Shanghai?
- On this lap a tenth of a second is worth roughly 8.7 m of track. That is why Max Verstappen's 0.346s at the Chinese Grand Prix 2025 puts 30.0 m between the cars on the finish line.