Valtteri Bottas edged out Lewis Hamilton to secure pole position for the Chinese GP as Mercedes held off Ferrari in a pulsating qualifying.
Bottas has enjoyed an advantage over Hamilton all weekend in Shanghai but only just beat his team-mate in Saturday's shootout, outpacing him by 0.023s with a 1:31.547 to lead a Mercedes one-two.
"It was super close," said championship leader Bottas, who admitted he wasn't happy with his final lap.
Hamilton added: "I didn't give up, I kept pushing. But Valtteri has been stellar all weekend."
Mercedes surprised by Ferrari gap
Verstappen fumes at qualy rivals
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Ferrari were off the pace throughout qualifying but came back at the Silver Arrows on the last laps in Q3, with both Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc finishing three tenths back.
"I think there was maybe a little bit more but not enough to beat these guys today," said Vettel, with Ferrari quicker on the straights but Mercedes surging ahead through the corners.
F1's 1000th world championship race starts on Sunday at 7.10am on Sky Sports F1.
Max Verstappen was fifth but failed to complete a competitive final lap after being overtaken by Vettel's Ferrari and other cars on the out-lap.
"I could also have overtaken the Ferrari in front but it's just not what you do in qualifying," said an angry Verstappen.
"I'm not happy about it but it will swing around and it will come back to others as well. We were fighting for third."
His Red Bull team-mate Pierre Gasly reached Q3 for the first time this season as he finished sixth, but was still eight tenths adrift of Verstappen.
Renault and Haas impressed in qualifying and completed the top-10, with Daniel Ricciardo beating Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen ahead of Romain Grosjean.
In qualifying for F1's 1000th grand prix:
- Bottas sealed his seventh pole position - his last was Russia 2018
- Both Mercedes and Ferraris, as well as Max Verstappen, will start their race on the medium tyre after posting fastest Q2 lap on the harder, and more durable, compound
- Renault made it into Q3 for the first time this season
- McLaren failed to get a car into Q3 for the first time this season
- Kimi Raikkonen didn't reach Q3 for the first time since the 2016 Hungarian GP
Mercedes dominate Ferrari
Mercedes and Ferrari were neck-and-neck throughout practice but as soon as qualifying started, the Silver Arrows stormed ahead.
"It was just really, really strong by Mercedes," said Sky F1's Nico Rosberg. "They just dominated."
Though the Scuderia have quicker straight-line speed, Mercedes' package couldn't be beaten in Shanghai's twisty sections and Vettel insisted they were just too quick.
Hamilton added: "Ferrari are particularly quick on the straights. But it's evident this weekend we've gained some performance through the corners."
Ferrari's hopes for Sunday could come down to their engine power and whether they can get close enough to Mercedes to use it.
"When we get close we have an advantage on the straight line so maybe we can do something there," said Vettel.
The fact the top five cars start on the medium tyre adds another intriguing variable to the race.
McLaren miss out
It was Renault and Haas who topped the midfield fight on Saturday and McLaren will have been disappointed, missing Q3 for the first time in F1 2019 - with Carlos Sainz beating Lando Norris.
Lance Stroll, meanwhile, was knocked out in Q1 for the seventh time in a row, finishing ahead of the frustrated Williams drivers.
Antonio Giovinazzi (engine issues) and Alex Albon (Practice Three crash) didn't get to complete a lap.
Watch the Chinese GP, F1's 1,000th race, live on Sky Sports F1 this weekend. Sky Sports is the home of live and exclusive F1. Find out more here to watch the 2019 season live