The Colombian had a blistering late lap to outpace his German team mate at Williams Ralf Schumacher.
"If he can do in a car what he does on a bike it would be fantastic. He would beat all of us," said Ferrari's Rubens Barrichello.
The German did a blistering lap in the first qualifying session for Sunday's Malaysian Grand Prix.
The Ferrari driver took the honours as F1 experienced single-shot qualifying for the first time.
Ferrari's Michael Schumacher has won the Spanish Grand Prix to equal the best start to a Formula One season with five wins in a row.
Juan Pablo Montoya accused Rubens Barrichello of illegally blocking him in order to help Ferrari team mate Michael Schumacher.
Chief Williams engineer Sam Michael said it was clear the team had some catching up to do but it was not all doom and gloom.
World champion Michael Schumacher was only 15th fastest in free practice for the Spanish Grand Prix.\n\n
Ferrari's Michael Schumacher finished fourth in a damaged car, ending his record run of 19 successive podiums.
Lewis Hamilton believes Charles Leclerc has usurped four times world champion team mate Sebastian Vettel as Ferrari's favourite.
The world of esports came to the rescue in the absence of a race in Melbourne or indeed of any single-seater series with the Formula E and IndyCar calendars also ravaged by the fast-spreading virus. Red Bull's Verstappen finished 11th in an 'All-star Esports battle' while McLaren's Norris finished sixth in another virtual race.
Britain's Jenson Button will stand in for Fernando Alonso at next month's Monaco Formula One Grand Prix while the Spaniard competes in the Indianapolis 500 on the same day, McLaren announced on Friday.
Sunday's Chinese Grand Prix will be the 1,000th race of the Formula One world championship since the first at Silverstone in 1950.
Formula One championship leader Sebastian Vettel pumped in a stunning late lap to snatch pole position from team mate Kimi Raikkonen as Ferrari dominated Chinese Grand Prix qualifying on Saturday.
Lewis Hamilton will head into his home British Grand Prix praying for the sake of the fans that angry Mercedes bosses continue to allow him and team mate Nico Rosberg to race each other freely.
Team mate Sebastian Vettel was second fastest to complete the front-row sweep, with championship leader Lewis Hamilton third for Mercedes.
The 35-year-old Williams driver, who won 11 races for Ferrari between 2006 and 2008 and finished overall runner-up to Lewis Hamilton in the 2008 world championship, is out of contract at the end of the year.
History suggests that when drivers are fighting for race wins and championships, and enjoy equal status in the same competitive cars, then real friendship is often the first casualty.
Formula One said a tribute was in the works, with details to be confirmed. A minute's silence is likely before the race.
Kimi Raikkonen has plenty of supporters among the passionate Ferrari 'tifosi' as the team's first champion of the post-Schumacher era, and last to date, and his return would a break with Ferrari tradition as much as a blast from the past.
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