Gasly Pleased with Strong Sprint Qualifying Showing in China
Pierre Gasly delivered a noteworthy performance during Sprint Qualifying at the Chinese Grand Prix, securing a seventh-place starting position for Saturday's Sprint race. The Alpine driver expressed confidence following his qualifying effort.
Alpine's Pierre Gasly has looked back positively on his Sprint Qualifying display at the Chinese Grand Prix, where he managed to secure seventh place on the grid for Saturday's Sprint competition.
The French driver demonstrated strong pace throughout the qualifying session, ultimately positioning himself well for the shortened race format. Gasly's seventh-place grid slot represents a solid effort as the Alpine team continues its campaign through the 2026 season.
Speaking after his qualifying performance, Gasly reflected on the session with a sense of confidence, highlighting the progress his team has made during the weekend at the Shanghai circuit. His assured approach suggests he believes he can build on this foundation heading into the Sprint race itself.
Original source
Formula1.com
Related Regulations
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Full Regulation Text
Article B2.2.1
Sprint Qualifying Session
Chapter: B2
In Simple Terms
Sprint Qualifying is a short qualifying session that happens on Friday, about 2.5 to 3.5 hours after the first practice session ends. It determines the starting grid positions for the Sprint race that takes place later that day.
- Held on the first day of track running (Friday)
- Starts 2.5-3.5 hours after FP1 concludes
- Determines the grid order for the Sprint race
- Shorter format compared to traditional qualifying
Official FIA Text
Sprint Qualifying takes place on first day of track running, starting 2.5-3.5 hours after FP1 end. Determines starting grid for Sprint.
Article B2.2.3
Sprint Qualifying Classification
Chapter: B2
In Simple Terms
The Sprint Qualifying grid is set by ranking the 20 drivers based on their performance across three qualifying sessions. The top 10 fastest drivers from SQ3 fill positions 1-10, then the 5 drivers eliminated in SQ2 take positions 11-15, and the 5 drivers eliminated in SQ1 take positions 16-20. If a driver is too slow in SQ1 (more than 7% slower than the fastest time) or doesn't complete a lap, they don't qualify.
- Top 10 positions determined by fastest times in SQ3 (Sprint Qualifying Session 3)
- Positions 11-15 filled by the 5 drivers eliminated in SQ2, ranked by their best SQ2 times
- Positions 16-20 filled by the 5 drivers eliminated in SQ1, ranked by their best SQ1 times
- Drivers exceeding the 107% time rule or failing to set a lap are unclassified and don't start Sprint Qualifying
Official FIA Text
Top 10 from SQ3 by fastest time. Next 5 from SQ2 eliminations. Next 5 from SQ1 eliminations. Ties go to who set time first. Unclassified if eliminated in SQ1 exceeding 107% fastest time or failed to set lap.
Article B2.3.4
Grid for Sprint Session
Chapter: B2
In Simple Terms
The Sprint grid is determined by how drivers performed in Sprint Qualifying, with any penalties applied to their starting positions. The official grid order is published twice—a provisional version 2 hours before the Sprint starts, and a final version 1 hour before—giving teams time to prepare. If a driver can't compete, they must tell the stewards at least 1 hour 15 minutes before the Sprint begins.
- Sprint grid is based on Sprint Qualifying results with grid penalties factored in
- Provisional grid published 2 hours before Sprint start; final grid published 1 hour before
- Drivers must notify stewards by 1 hour 25 minutes before the Sprint if they cannot start
Official FIA Text
Sprint grid formed from Sprint Qualifying results with grid penalties applied. Provisional grid published 2 hours before start; final grid 1 hour before start. Competitors must inform stewards by 1.25 hours before if unable to start.
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