Source: REUTERS/Edgar Su
[Saba Sports News] In the sprint qualifying for the 2025 F1 Chinese Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton narrowly secured pole position, with Max Verstappen trailing by 0.018 seconds in second place. However, former F1 driver and commentator Karun Chandhok pointed out that Verstappen’s performance was particularly impressive given he was driving a “highly challenging” car. Chandhok stated that Verstappen was struggling with the steering wheel during qualifying and even missed the optimal racing line; his car appeared to be poorly tuned, requiring him to exert more effort to achieve faster lap times, making him uncomfortable. Nevertheless, he still managed to push the car to its limits with his exceptional driving skills. Chandhok believes that top drivers like Hamilton, Verstappen, and Fernando Alonso have no weaknesses on any track, but the Shanghai International Circuit is special and complex, requiring drivers to have high confidence and precise control to maintain the correct rhythm and line.