HIGHLIGHTS: Watch the action from a dramatic rain-hit Sprint ...

Lando Norris splashed his way to the fastest time during an action-packed first Sprint Qualifying session of the season at the Chinese Grand Prix, beating Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso for a brilliant pole amid wet conditions.

With showers arriving and then intensifying in the closing stages of SQ2, intermediates were the tyres of choice for the final top 10 shootout – where Norris impressively rose to the fore and secured P1 on the grid for the Sprint by more than a second.

READ MORE: Norris claims pole ahead of Hamilton during frenetic wet Sprint Qualifying in China

Reigning world champion Max Verstappen will start down in fourth position, followed by Carlos Sainz, Sergio Perez and Charles Leclerc, with Oscar Piastri, Valtteri Bottas and home hero Zhou Guanyu rounding out the top 10.

There was trouble for Mercedes driver George Russell, who fell at the second hurdle after backing out of a second attempt when the rain fell, leaving him 11th for Saturday’s Sprint, which is set to begin at 1100 local time.

Check out highlights from Sprint Qualifying in Shanghai in the video player above.