Chinese GP: Disappointing qualifying for Williams Martini

Both Williams drivers would come out early in the opening eighteen minute period of qualifying. Both were on the soft tyre and would pit after a single lap. Everyone else were on the ultrasoft tyre. The first time was a 1m:35.189 from Leclerc but others would go quicker with Raikkonen fastest with a 1m:32.474 followed by Bottas and Hamilton. Vettel would go quickest with a 1m:32.171. After the first runs the Williams drivers were currently twelfth and fourteenth. But they would drop further down the times while at the front it was Vettel still quickest from Raikkonen, Bottas, Verstappen, Hamilton, Perez, Hulkenberg, Ocon, Alonso, and Magnussen in tenth.

Yet to set a time was Ricciardo who would not come out with minutes remaining as he car was been repaired in his garage after an engine failure in the final practice. The top eight cars would not come back out but all those below were on second runs. For Williams both drivers would improve but they would still be pushed down into the drop zone and out of qualifying.

The second period would see the top two times all been set on the soft tyre with Raikkonen fastest from Vettel. Ricciardo was third followed by Bottas, Verstappen, Hamilton, Magnussen, Hulkenberg, Ocon and Perez in tenth after their first runs. The only other cars on the soft tyre were the Mercedes. the second runs in this period would see most teams out on the ultrasoft tyre. Only Mercedes stayed on the soft tyre and it worked for them with Hamilton going quickest with a 1m:31.914 while both Ferrari's pitted having not improved their times which will see them start the race on the soft tyre. Bottas would go second followed by Raikkonen, Vettel, Hulkenberg, Grosjean, Ricciardo, Verstappen, Perez and Sainz.

The final period would see the majority of drivers on the ultrasoft tyre except Grosjean who was on the soft. First runs would see Raikkonen go quickest with a 1m:31.200 followed by Vettel and Bottas. Hamilton was fourth followed by Verstappen, Ricciardo, Hulkenberg, Grosjean, and Sainz. On their second runs it would be Vettel who would move ahead of his team-mate with a 1m:31.095 with Raikkonen second. Bottas would remain third followed by Hamilton, Verstappen, Ricciardo, Hulkenberg, Perez, Sainz and Grosjean tenth.

Lance Stroll:
Lance would follow his team-mate out also on soft tyres but his were used. he would pit after a single lap returning on a new set of ultrasoft tyres. lance would finish with a 1m:35.052 to be ninth. This would become thirteenth as he pitted. He would continue to drop down the times now eighteenth. Lance was also back out on new ultrasoft tyres as the final minutes counted down. Lance would set a 1m:34.285 to be seventeenth but would drop to eighteenth. But he had closed the gap to his team-mate compared to the practice sessions.

Sergey Sirotkin:
Sergey would be the first Williams driver out running on new soft tyres. Sergey would pit after a single lap return on new ultrasoft tyres. he would complete his first flying lap setting a 1m:34.420 to be seventh. He would drop to eleventh and would pit. Sergey would also drop down places now in fifteenth. Sergey would return on another set of new ultrasoft tyres. Sergey would set a 1m:34.062 to be twelfth but he would drop to fifteenth as the period ended. But he would be pushed down the order to be sixteenth and out of qualifying. Sergey was just 0.049 behind fifteenth.