'gobsmacked' Lewis Hamilton Smashes Shanghai Lap Record For First Ferrari Pole

A 'gobsmacked' Lewis Hamilton obliterated the Shanghai lap record to take a stunning pole position on Friday for the Chinese Grand Prix sprint in only his second race weekend with Ferrari .

Hamilton, who has won a record six Chinese Grands Prix, flew round the resurfaced 5.451km Shanghai International Circuit in 1min 30.849sec.

Charles Leclerc was fourth as Ferrari showed a big improvement from Melbourne, where Hamilton was 10th and Leclerc eighth the Scuderia's worst season-opening performance since 2009.

'I'm just a bit gobsmacked, taken back by it. I didn't know when we would get to this position,' said Hamilton, who emerged from his car to a huge ovation from the Chinese fans.

'I started out straight away with a better feeling in the car. I can't believe we are at the front, ahead of a McLaren which has been so fast throughout winter testing, Australia and even today.'