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The 2026 Chinese Grand Prix is a Formula One motor race scheduled be held on March, Sunday 15, 2026, at the Shanghai International Circuit in Shanghai, China. Mercedes' George Russell expects Ferrari to be our closest competitors this weekend in the Chinese Grand Prix, and admits he is taking nothing for granted despite a strong start to the 2026 campaign. Russell leads home team mate Kimi Antonelli last weekend in Melbourne as Mercedes claims a 1-2 in the first race under the new regulations, prompting some early speculation that this year's titles will be going to the German manufacturer. Despite a seemingly dominant performance in Australia, Russell believes that Ferrari's strategy decision not to pit either race leader Charles Leclerc or Lewis Hamilton under a Virtual Safety Car makes the margin of victory look greater:
"Charles gave me a proper fight in Melbourne and he was ahead of me for the VSC. If he pitted under the VSC, I don't think we would have finished 1-2. Maybe I could have got past him for the win but it would have been a proper tussle. We were quicker than we expected in Qualifying; I think other people didn't expect us to be that quick but the pace on Sunday, we were nip and tuck with Ferrari, which is more in line with what we expected".
Ferrari will run its flip-flop rear wing this weekend, which in theory gives both Leclerc and Hamilton a distinct advantage down the one-kilometre back straight in Shanghai. With development of the 2026 cars likely to be rapid this season, and with McLaren and Red Bull yet to bring a substantial upgrade, Russell is wary of the potential threat to come from his rivals:
"I think, from what we saw in Melbourne, at this early stage of the season I expect Ferrari to be our closest competitors. But Max was very quick, he came from the back and you can be confident he would have qualified probably in the top three without his problem. The championship is won over a long season. This start is good because the car is performing well, but other than that it doesn't mean much more. We have to keep pushing, Ferrari are very close behind. We saw it in the race, they were super fast. McLaren still have no major updates from winter testing and we think they are overweight currently. I'm sure when McLaren bring an update, the development will be very quick. We take nothing for granted".
Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton both express optimism over Ferrari’s chances of taking the fight to Mercedes as the 2026 season develops, even if their rivals started with a huge advantage in Australia. Leclerc leads the early stages of the Melbourne opener after rocketing from fourth on the grid to first, and eventually completes the podium positions behind the two Silver Arrows machines, while team mate Hamilton backs him up in fourth. Asked if he feels Ferrari have the potential to challenge Mercedes moving forward, Leclerc says:
"I really hope so. In Qualifying, it’s going to take a lot of work in order to change the advantage that they have. Eight tenths in Melbourne was absolutely huge. There are things we are optimising that we haven’t optimised in Melbourne, so it will get better, but they still have a significant advantage. In the race conditions, we are closer, so I hope that starting from this weekend we can put them under a bit more pressure".
With the Sprint format in play at the Shanghai International Circuit, the Monegasque adds:
"We’ve done a massive amount of work in the background to be ready for a weekend like this. It was already a massive amount of work for a normal weekend to be ready with these cars. On a Sprint weekend, it’s probably double the work, because we’ve got very few laps before needing to be optimal for Qualifying. It’s going to be a huge challenge for everybody. I think in the past, or last year, one Free Practice session wasn’t such a problem - you could be suboptimal because of set-up by one or two tenths. Here, being suboptimal with the engine could mean five, six, seven tenths. It’s going to be very important to do a good job during FP1 and to be ready in Sprint Qualifying in order to have the best result".
Hamilton, meanwhile, continues to cut an upbeat figure as he gradually puts a challenging first campaign at Ferrari behind him:
"I had a lot of fun last week. Also to have extra pre-season testing was fun for us, because it’s normally only a day-and-a-half in the car or something like that before the first race. So, to get more running… then a lot discovered through the race from start to end. We knew that Mercedes were looking really strong, and little did we know it was as big a gap that we saw, but not an impossible gap to close. It’s just going to take all hands on deck, and I’m confident in my team doing absolutely everything back at the factory to try and close that gap".
Pushed on his and Ferrari’s victory chances in China, having won the Sprint here last season, Hamilton says:
"I think it’s far too early to say. Secondly, we were eight-tenths behind in Qualifying at the last race, so we haven’t added eight-tenths of performance to the car in four days. I think it will still be very tough to beat the Mercedes this weekend. You also have to assume that the others are going to be picking up pace, like McLaren picking up pace, the second Red Bull being in the fight as well. I think we’ll just focus on doing the best job we can and extracting the most from the car".
Reigning Formula 1 World Champion Lando Norris admits that McLaren need to step it up as much as possible ahead of this weekend's Chinese Grand Prix. The Briton can only begin his title defence with fifth place last weekend in Melbourne, as Norris finishes more than 50 seconds behind race winner George Russell. Despite there only being a week between the first two rounds of the season, Norris claims McLaren have been working hard to reduce the gap:
"It’s been a busy week for the whole team, both the team that are here travelling but also the team back in McLaren Technology Centre, trying to step it up as much as possible. It has been full of learnings - some good things, some not so good things, but all things that we need to and we want to improve on... Learn what we could from others, learn what we could from ourselves, and do a much better job all-round here in Shanghai".
Despite sharing the same power unit as Teams’ Championship leaders Mercedes, Norris suggests that McLaren still need to get on top of understanding the new units - while a less-than-optimised chassis means the reigning champions have been forced to play catch-up at the start of the 2026 campaign:
"It’s understanding of the power unit - we haven’t done as good of a job as we should have done, so our own understanding is not to the level we want it to be at and the team have worked very hard to improve that. But I also said, the chassis is not to the level that we want it to be at. It’s certainly not bad and we’re certainly not miles away - I think we’re not as far as it almost looked in Melbourne. We need to improve it more, but we know that - we know where we’re stronger, we know where we’re weaker. Our tyre management was pretty tricky last weekend in Melbourne and might be quite tricky again here with the graining. We kind of need to improve a little bit of everything, honestly - it wasn’t just one thing or just the other. Both our car and our understanding of the power unit needs to improve, and the team have done a lot of work on that to try and do better this weekend".
Oscar Piastri opens up about how he moves on from the incident that cuts his Australian Grand Prix short, explaining that he still learns enough to prepare him for the next round in China this weekend. The McLaren driver, who is aiming for a stronger home race this season after he drove wide onto the grass in 2025 and sacrificed a podium, loses control of his car on a reconnaissance lap and slides into the wall.
With the damage deemed too significant to continue, Piastri is forced to watch the race from the sidelines while his team mate Lando Norris secures a valuable P5 - but the experience teaches him how he and the team can bounce back in China:
"It was relatively quick to put that behind me - obviously it’s one I try to forget. I think having a race this weekend is always nice and there’s still plenty to focus on. There was still plenty to try and learn from all the running we did in Melbourne and even just for me, trying to understand what racing looks like now was interesting to watch at least. I’m not expecting this weekend to be dramatically different to Melbourne. I think we’ve identified quite a lot of areas where we can improve and where we could have done better, but I think most people will have those opportunities. I think it will be a similar picture but hopefully we can get a bit closer".
After winning both the Drivers’ and Teams’ Championships last year, the early results suggest that the Woking outfit has fallen behind Mercedes and Ferrari under the new regulations, with Piastri finding himself eight-tenths adrift of George Russell’s pole position time at Albert Park. Norris similarly ends up unable to seriously challenge the frontrunners in the race, but despite the deficit, Piastri appears optimistic that their extensive debrief from the weekend will help them take a step forward:
"I think there will be plenty of opportunities and there are still plenty of things to learn. Even the first five or 10 laps of the race in Melbourne were pretty chaotic so I think that element is probably not going to change too much anywhere, which obviously brings a level of risk to everyone. I think we learned, after Qualifying especially and in the days since, that we didn’t necessarily optimise what we had in Melbourne. Throughout practice, the picture looked a lot more optimistic - I think overly optimistic at points, but it was a surprise for us to lose so much competitiveness from Friday to Saturday. I think we’ve got a pretty good understanding of why now, so I think we can get closer. We still think we’re going to have a deficit to Mercedes, but I think we identified a lot of things we can do better".
Max Verstappen believes he is the perfect age to be taking part in other major motorsport events, with the Red Bull driver set to make his Nurburgring 24 Hours debut later this season. The Dutchman will contest the endurance event in May between the Miami and Canadian Grands Prix at the wheel of a Mercedes AMG-GT3, run by Winward Racing and featuring a Red Bull livery. Verstappen has made no secret of his desire to compete in the event, having obtained his permit to race on the Nordschleife last season with an outing in a GT4 car, before winning a round of the Nurburgring Endurance Series in September driving a Ferrari 296 GT3. Ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix this weekend, the 28-year-old tells the media his reasons for wanting to race at the Nordschleife, which last hosts a Formula 1 event in 1976:
"It's one of the best races in the world, it's one of the best tracks. In a GT car, for me that's like the perfect speed around there. I think if you go anything faster it can be a bit dangerous in places. I've been watching a long time, a lot of my friends have been racing in it, they say it's one of the best things ever. I like racing other cars as well, so this was basically the first time I could do it. I'm very excited to see how we're going to perform. It's a very stacked line-up and field in general".
Verstappen will share the Mercedes alongside well-established GT drivers including Dani Juncadella, Jules Gounon and Lucas Auer, with the four-time World Champion set to enter the NLS2 race on March 21 in preparation for the blue riband event:
"It's just the way of working with people, it's a bit of a different environment that you're in, in the paddock. Probably a little bit more old-school which I probably enjoy a bit more. Can probably be a bit more myself. All the big endurance races I want to do, it's something that when I was a kid, my dad was doing them. I don't need to be only an F1 driver, I can also do other things. I've done this already for a while, achieved everything I want to achieve so that's why I want to explore other things and I don't want to do them when I'm 40 years old. Now is the perfect age to do it".
As FP1 nears the halfway point, Russell sits at the top of the timesheets via his effort of 1m 34.169s, just over two-tenths ahead of Charles Leclerc while Antonelli follows in third. One name missing out on mileage is Carlos Sainz, the Williams man spending much of the session in the garage after recording just one lap. Some drivers start to bolt on the soft compound as the session enters its second half - including Hamilton, who climbs up to third behind his team mate. Over at Williams, meanwhile, Sainz heads out on track with around 20 minutes to spare, having seemingly been experiencing a data issue. The session is over for Lindblad, with Racing Bulls confirming that the Briton will not resume running. As the final quarter of the practice hour approaches, Russell remains fastest from Hamilton and Leclerc, while McLaren’s Oscar Piastri slots into fourth - the majority of the pack still having only used the medium tyres. Just as others start to swap to the soft rubber - including Russell and Antonelli - Colapinto comes to a halt in the pit lane, sparking the yellow flags. The Alpine crew runs from the garage to recover the car, before the Argentine is able to get moving again. The times start to tumble as more soft-shod laps go on the board, with Russell going even quicker on a 1m 32.807s while Antonelli climbs up to second. Both McLarens are on the move, too, with Piastri and Norris moving up to third and fifth - albeit seven and eight-tenths respectively away from Russell’s time. When the chequered flag falls, Russell remains on top after lowering his benchmark further to 1m 32.741s, giving him an advantage of 0.120s over team mate Antonelli. Norris slots into third in the closing moments, putting himself in front of Piastri, Leclerc and Hamilton. Haas’ Ollie Bearman is an eye-catching seventh, placing ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, the Audi of Nico Hulkenberg and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly.
With just a single, one-hour session of practice under their belts to fine-tune set-ups, drivers head out into the relative unknown for the opening 12-minute segment of Sprint Qualifying at the Shanghai International Circuit. The Red Bulls set the early benchmark, Hadjar posting a lap time just fractionally quicker than team mate Verstappen, but as in the earlier practice session, Russell soon occupies top spot. The Briton posts a 1m 33.030s, leaving him four-tenths clear of team mate Antonelli following their sole runs, the Mercedes duo returning to the garage for the remainder of the session after a statement of intent. Leclerc and then Hamilton soon split the pair with their second runs, Ferrari deciding not to run its radical flip-flop rear wing which appears on both cars during practice. Behind the leading quartet at the chequered flag, Norris gets the better of McLaren team mate Piastri as Gasly, Hulkenberg, Ocon and Lawson complete the top 10. Verstappen can only finish 11th, more than one second behind Russell and complaining of the drivability of his RB22, just in front of Bearman as the Haas driver dips a wheel into the gravel on his final effort at the last corner. They are joined in SQ2 by Bortoleto, who has a high-speed moment at the final corner after running wide into the run-off area, with Hadjar, Lindblad and Colapinto progressing. Sainz misses out on making the cut by less than two-tenths ahead of Albon, who suffers a big lock-up into Turn 11, as the Williams duo are followed by the Aston Martin pairing of Alonso and Stroll. The final row of the grid is completed by Cadillac, Bottas 4.3 seconds adrift of Russell as Perez fails to set a lap time due to a fuel systems issue. Knocked out: Sainz, Albon, Alonso, Stroll, Bottas and Perez. With all drivers on a set of medium tyres once again, Leclerc sets a new benchmark for the weekend with a 1m 32.602s on his opening lap, leaving him well clear of the McLarens and team mate Hamilton after their opening runs. The Ferrari driver's margin is soon overturned, Antonelli posting a 1m 32.570s before Russell lowers the benchmark further to a 1m 32.241s. However, Antonelli earlier exits the pit lane into the path of Norris with the McLaren driver complaining over the radio about being impeded - the incident is investigated post-session but with no further action taken.
Hamilton fractionally improves with his second effort but remains behind Leclerc, as Piastri jumps back ahead of the seven-time World Champion, with Norris fifth and Gasly sixth, the Frenchman also placed under investigation for impeding. Bearman jumps up to eighth with his second lap, the Briton having dipped a wheel in the gravel at the final corner on his opening effort. Behind Bearman, the Red Bull duo of Verstappen and Hadjar only just progress to the final part of Sprint Qualifying, the Dutchman running through the gravel at the final corner with his last effort. Hadjar, meanwhile, has to be pushed down the pit lane by his mechanics at the end of the session after stopping at the weigh bridge. Hulkenberg just misses the cut by only 0.015s, as he is joined by Ocon, Lawson, Bortoleto, Lindblad and Colapinto in dropping out. Knocked out: Hulkenberg, Ocon, Lawson, Bortoleto, Lindblad and Colapinto. In the final eight-minute segment, all drivers are able to use the soft Pirelli compound and lap times tumble as a result. Antonelli's 1m 31.880s is quickly beaten by Russell's 1m 31.520s, and although both Mercedes drivers go for a second run, neither improves as Russell claims pole position for Saturday's Sprint. Behind the leading duo, Norris is best of the rest having gone out for just a single lap that leaves him six-tenths behind Russell, as Hamilton splits the McLaren pair with Piastri fifth. Leclerc is a second adrift in sixth, followed by Gasly and an unhappy Verstappen, the Red Bull driver complaining of a lack of grip post-session. Bearman finishes ninth as Hadjar is able to complete a run at the very end of the session to round out the top 10. George Russell labels his pole-claiming performance in Sprint Qualifying at the Chinese Grand Prix as a joy to drive, with the Briton confident that Mercedes have found some improvements in terms of their race starts. After setting the pace in the weekend’s sole practice session earlier on Friday, Russell - who wins the first race of the season in Australia - continues his stint at the top when the grid is decided for Saturday’s Sprint, going quickest on a lap of 1m 31.520s. The Silver Arrows racer’s effort puts him 0.289s clear of team mate Kimi Antonelli and the polesitter is greeted by cheers from the crowd as he steps out of the W17:
"Firstly hello to all the fans in China. There’s been amazing support for everybody here, it’s special to be back. The car’s been feeling amazing - we knew after Melbourne we had a really good car, the engine’s performing really well, and today was a real joy to drive, so I’m happy. I’m intrigued to know what the lap times are compared to last year, because it felt really quick and that was pretty cool, very different to Melbourne".
While Mercedes perform strongly in Qualifying last time out in Melbourne, both cars are not as fast off the line as the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton in the race itself. Looking ahead to how the launch might unfold at the Sprint in Shanghai - where the Scuderia pair are not as close, having qualified in fourth and sixth - Russell admits that the Silver Arrows have been working to better their own starts:
"Since Melbourne, everything we’ve been working on is just trying to get off the line better, what we can do there. I think we’ve found some improvements. Melbourne was obviously slightly dicier in the opening laps than we would have liked, but I guess we’ll find out in the morning".
Russell also takes a moment to pay tribute to the support shown by the local fans, adding:
"It’s been really surreal seeing so many blue caps and so much support in the grandstands. I’ve sort of embraced a little bit of the culture with my special helmets over the last couple of years, so I think that’s been appreciated".
On the other side of the garage, Antonelli speaks positively about the feeling in the car during Sprint Qualifying, while also acknowledging that his lap at the end of the session could be better:
"The pace is very strong. I just didn’t put the lap together at the end on the softs. Still work to do, but obviously congrats to George, and it’s all to play for tomorrow. I’m feeling good in the car. It’s more about details, trying to put it all together, but tomorrow we’ll try to have a good start, and then try to have a good Quali".
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc are left with differing views after Sprint Qualifying at the Shanghai International Circuit - the former feeling really pleased and the latter left to rue issues on his final timed lap. Hamilton’s SQ3 effort puts him fourth on the grid for the Sprint, between McLaren pair Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, while Charles Leclerc has to settle for sixth, some three-and-a-half tenths down on his team mate. Reflecting on his team-leading result, following a difficult practice hour, Hamilton says:
“Really pleased with the session. My team did a really great job, my engineers did a fantastic job to turn the car around, because in P1 it was a tricky session with that spin. The car generally felt great, it’s just I think we’re losing… I think it’s on the straights, it’s a lot of time to be losing. We have a lot of work to do, we really have to push so hard back at the factory in Maranello to improve on power. It’s something that I think we were conscious of last year, we thought that Mercedes started on the new regulations earlier than us, or the rest, which they did last time as well. They’ve done a fantastic job, and we’ve got to step up, we’ve got to push to be able to close that gap. I think car-wise, the car feels great, and I think we can compete with them through corners, but when you’re down on power it’s just the way it is".
Hamilton is also asked about Ferrari trialling their flip-flop rear wing in FP1, before going back to the specification used for the season-opener in Australia:
"I don’t really know why we went back on it. We rushed it to get it here, and it was not supposed to be on the car until it was like race four or five, something like that. They did a great job to rush it here, we only had two of them, and it was maybe a little bit premature, so we took it off. The car was still great and we’ll work to try and bring it back when it’s ready".
Leclerc, meanwhile, gives his take on a frustrating session, having set the third-fastest time in SQ2 before dropping to sixth in the decisive SQ3 phase:
"First the toggle, then unfortunately when I had a good lap, I lost half a second in the back straight for whatever reason - on the second lap in SQ3. We’ll analyse that and try to understand what’s gone wrong".
Adding his thoughts on Ferrari’s wing changes, and the deficit to pace-setters Mercedes, Leclerc adds:
"I mean, it doesn’t really change the picture from where we are. I think in the race we should be relatively a bit stronger than where we were now in Sprint Qualifying, however Mercedes seems to be still a step ahead. In Qualifying, for some reason the Mercedes power unit finds a lot of lap time. We don’t quite find that amount of lap time just yet in Qualifying, but in the race we are closer, so I’m still hopeful we can come back tomorrow".
Lando Norris believes the start of Saturday's Sprint at the Chinese Grand Prix is an opportunity for sure to try and beat the Mercedes of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli. The Mercedes duo look dominant at the Shanghai International Circuit on Friday, as Russell tops the sole practice session and all three segments of Sprint Qualifying to take pole. Reigning World Champion Norris proves to be best of the rest in third ahead of the 19-lap Sprint, but is still six-tenths behind Russell:
"I'm just happy with the result, I've not seen what I lost and gained or whatever. P3 is as good as we can do for the time being. Actually pretty happy to beat both the Ferraris today because they seemed pretty good the whole day. Satisfied, good position for tomorrow. Certainly things have been better this weekend, just because the track is a lot more simple from a power unit side of things, so everyone kind of falls in line a bit more. We certainly seemed to get a good amount of it at the end and it was close. A good lap put me in a good position".
With the new regulations, getting the current generation of car off the line proves to be an additional challenge for drivers to get to grips with, as both Russell and Antonelli lose positions from the front row last weekend in Australia. While Norris believes Mercedes will have got on top of any start issues, the Briton admits it is his best chance to challenge for victory:
"I don't expect them to get bad starts to be honest. For years, they've been one of the best starters. It's an opportunity for sure, I think they know what they did wrong last weekend in Melbourne and they'll probably be fine tomorrow but you never know. It's a good opportunity, easiest place to overtake is off the line, so we'll see what we can do".
McLaren team mate Oscar Piastri manages to split the Ferraris of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc in fifth, and admits that closing the gap to Mercedes, despite having the same power unit, is difficult:
"I think the step in grip from the medium to the soft tyre was pretty big but obviously the gap to Mercedes is pretty impressive. Some things for us to try and work on but I think the car felt pretty good. It was a pretty decent lap so I don't think there was too much left. I think sector one we seemed good obviously, but six tenths in the last sector is impressive so we'll go and have a look where we're losing the time".
Max Verstappen labels Friday at the Chinese Grand Prix as a disaster pace-wise, with the Red Bull driver suggesting that he does not yet know what the team will do to address the issues for the rest of the weekend after ending Sprint Qualifying in P8. Having placed eighth on the timesheets during the event’s sole practice session, Verstappen takes the same position when it comes to Qualifying for the Sprint later in the day, leaving the Dutchman to rue the problems he experiences on his car:
"The whole day has been a disaster pace-wise. I had no grip - honestly I think that’s the biggest problem - no balance, just losing massive amounts of time in the corners, to be honest. And then of course because of that, you start to trigger other little problems. The big problem for us is just the cornering - it’s completely out".
Pushed on whether the squad will look to make changes for Saturday’s Qualifying ahead of Sunday’s Grand Prix, Verstappen responds:
"We’ll have a look. I don’t know at the moment what we can do, but yeah, we’ll see".
It is also a tricky day for Isack Hadjar on the other side of the Red Bull garage, the Frenchman ending SQ3 of Sprint Qualifying at the bottom of the top 10. Quizzed on whether he has lost half a second on the straight during his effort, Hadjar explains:
"I don’t know what happened yet and why we lost half a second. I was happy with my lap - it was good, but I don’t think that is going to change our weekend. I’m just happy to be not too far from Max".
In terms of whether the team’s position comes as a surprise - and if he has been anticipating that it would be better - the 21-year-old answers:
"No, I was expecting the McLaren and the Ferrari to be ahead. I didn’t expect the gap overall to increase".
As the lights go out to signal the start of the Sprint, Russell initially holds his lead from pole through the opening corners. However, Hamilton is on the charge from his P4 starting slot, having demoted Antonelli off the line and passing Norris into Turn 1. The seven-time World Champion then takes the lead with a dive to the inside at Turn 9 before Russell fights back along the back straight into the Turn 14 hairpin. Hamilton is back ahead around the outside of Turn 1 at the start of Lap 2 and the pair continue to trade places over the opening laps, allowing Leclerc from P6 to move within range, as Norris heads Piastri further back. Behind, Antonelli makes contact with Hadjar at Turn 4, the young Mercedes driver once again suffering a poor start from the front row of the grid, and he is subsequently slapped with a 10-second penalty for the collision. By Lap 5, Russell has gapped the two Ferrari drivers after a decisive move at Turn 14, with Leclerc starting to challenge his team mate before moving ahead up the inside of Turn 1 at the beginning of Lap 8. The pair go wheel-to-wheel through the opening corners a lap later, but Leclerc remains ahead which proves crucial later in proceedings, as a late Safety Car forces Ferrari to double stack in the pits. Behind the leading trio, Antonelli steadily recovers from the midfield, overtaking the McLarens of Piastri and Norris, and soon challenges the Ferraris. The young Italian then moves ahead of Hamilton at Turn 14 on Lap 11 and repeats the move on Leclerc two laps later, just as the Safety Car is called after Hulkenberg brings his Audi to a stop at Turn 1. The caution prompts all the leading runners to switch from the Pirelli medium tyre to the soft rubber, Russell rejoining back in the lead from Leclerc, as Norris jumps Hamilton. Antonelli serves his 10-second penalty and rejoins just in front of Piastri, who has to stack behind Norris, but the pair find themselves behind Lawson and Bearman, the latter pair having decided to stay out on their hard and medium tyres respectively.
Racing resumes with just three laps remaining as a moment of wheelspin exiting Turn 14 from Leclerc gives Russell a decisive margin, which he holds until the chequered flag. Hamilton recovers to P3 after overtaking Norris around the outside at Turn 1, while Antonelli recovers to P5 having initially lost a position at the restart to Piastri. The Australian is told to concede the position with Piastri initially passing the Mercedes youngster before the start/finish line after the Safety Car restart, eventually finishing P6 as Lawson and Bearman hold on for the final points. Verstappen finishes just outside of the points, after the Red Bull driver suffers a poor start that drops him down the field from P8 on the grid, as Ocon completes the top 10. Gasly slips outside the points after starting seventh, finishing ahead of Sainz, Bortoleto and Colapinto, with Hadjar P15 after suffering minor damage in his collision with Antonelli. Albon heads the two Aston Martins of Alonso and Stroll, with Perez in P19 having suffered a five-second penalty for a Safety Car infringement. Hulkenberg, Bottas and Lindblad fail to finish. George Russell is delighted to win a pretty fun Sprint at the Chinese Grand Prix, with the Mercedes driver admitting being caught off guard by his early battle against Lewis Hamilton for the lead. Despite a good start from pole position, Russell loses out on P1 later in the lap when Hamilton makes a lightning launch off the line to surge to the front from P4 on the grid. A close scrap follows in the next laps, before Russell eventually seals the position. The Briton goes on to take victory, ahead of the other Ferrari of Charles Leclerc in second and Hamilton in third. When asked afterwards about the dicey opening laps - which are much like his early duel with Leclerc last time out in Australia - Russell responds:
"Again, yeah. I just spoke with Charles, we were like, ‘Actually, this is pretty fun in the end'! A lot of strategy at play and how you do the overtakes. It’s not easy. I hope it was a fun race to watch - usually the Sprint races are pretty boring - and then I got everything under control, then there was the Safety Car, but really happy to win".
Describing the difficulties that he faces from behind the wheel, Russell continues:
"It’s really windy at the moment. It’s not easy because this first corner’s so long and it only takes one lap of pushing too much and you can destroy your front left tyre, so it was just sort of managing, and especially when we were battling. And Lewis did an amazing job in the early laps - he caught me off guard - but that’s 20 years’ experience, so I’ve still got a little bit to learn there".
Given the close fight that Ferrari again puts up, Russell suggests that the Silver Arrows may have to up their game further for the remainder of the weekend:
"I hope we can bring more, but yesterday was a really great day. Ferrari again seem to be offset in Qualifying but really close to us in race pace, so ultimately we probably need to find a bit of improvement for the race".
On the other side of the garage it is an eventful Sprint for Kimi Antonelli. After dropping backwards at the start from P2 on the grid, the Italian makes contact with Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar during the opening lap, later earning him a 10-second time penalty for causing a collision. While he is able to climb back up the order, Antonelli serves his penalty in the pits when the Safety Car is called following a stoppage on track for Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg, resulting in a final position of P5:
"It was a crazy race on my side. Obviously with the start we need to check what happened, what went wrong - probably I think it was something on my side. Then when I released the clutch, I had no power, no momentum, but I think it was something on my side with the procedure, so I need to check on that. And then the pace was decent to be fair. Obviously I came back into P2, but then the Safety Car came out and I had to serve the 10 seconds and then fell back again. Now we look forward to Qualifying".
Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton reflect on a positive Sprint at the Chinese Grand Prix, the pair claiming a double podium for the Scuderia amid an exciting battle for the win. Hamilton briefly takes the lead on the first lap of the 19-lap Sprint after starting P4 and engages in a frenetic duel with poleman and eventual race winner George Russell across the opening laps. The seven-time World Champion then battles team mate Leclerc, the pair going wheel-to-wheel through the opening corners at one stage, with the latter eventually gaining the advantage and finishing within a second of Russell at the chequered flag:
"I’m pretty happy with the race. I think the pace was quite strong - we had a bit of fighting which made me lose time to George and then it was difficult to catch up. But it’s good to see that at least our race pace is similar to Mercedes and our Qualifying pace. Pretty happy with the car today".
A late Safety Car period brings the leading drivers into the pits for new soft Pirelli rubber, but a moment of wheelspin exiting the Turn 14 hairpin at the restart means Leclerc is unable to challenge Russell over the final three laps:
"Well I think the tyres were a little bit colder than what I expected. I saw George actually having a snap and I was like, ‘Okay, this is probably my opportunity to take the lead’, so I tried to go a bit more aggressive on throttle but I had the same rear grip as George so I nearly lost it, but luckily I didn’t completely lose it".
Hamilton, meanwhile, recovers to third after passing McLaren's Lando Norris in the final laps at Turn 1, the Briton having to stack behind Leclerc at the pit stop. With the Shanghai International Circuit the scene of his only victory for Ferrari 12 months ago in the Sprint, Hamilton is encouraged by the result in 2026 and under the new regulations:
"A big thank you to the team for us to be able to be in this position fighting with the Mercedes at the front. It was a close battle at the beginning - their speed on the straights is a little bit too much at the moment, but I put up a good fight. I killed my left tyre so I wasn’t able to hold onto position. It’s just a much better car than last year that we’ve designed and I’ve been a part of developing it, so definitely a lot happier in it and of course I was in the lead at one point so third is not the greatest, but I will try harder again tomorrow".
A flurry of cars exits the pit lane at the start of the 18-minute Q1 session at the Shanghai International Circuit, with Piastri the first driver to dip below the 1m 34s barrier after the opening laps - the McLaren man using the soft Pirelli tyre to set a 1m 33.990s. Hamilton soon finds himself in the drop zone at the halfway point of the session, the Ferrari driver reporting that the car feels good despite a moment of oversteer on the exit of Turn 9 with a used medium tyre. The Mercedes duo are the last runners to register lap times, Antonelli and then Russell comfortably jumping to the top of the leaderboard as the new benchmark becomes a 1m 33.262s. Fitted with a new set of soft tyres, Hamilton moves up to third but still finds himself 0.260s behind Russell's time, before team mate Leclerc catches the attention of many with a new fastest lap - a 1m 33.175s leaving him clear of Russell and Antonelli. At the other end of the standings and on the cusp of elimination, Lindblad is called into the pits with a potential issue before rejoining the track in the closing stages to move up to P13 in the final reckoning. It places the Red Bulls of Verstappen and Hadjar at risk, the pair having done their opening laps on the medium tyre before recovering to fourth and ninth respectively at the chequered flag with a new set of softs. Between the pair, Hamilton occupies fifth from Norris, Bortoleto and Piastri, with Colapinto completing the top 10. Also progressing into Q2 are Bearman, Gasly, Lindblad, Ocon, Hulkenberg and Lawson. As in Australia, Williams' Sainz is eliminated in Q1 despite proclaiming it was a good lap, and heads disgruntled team mate Albon, followed by the Aston Martin of Alonso and Bottas' Cadillac, with Stroll and Perez completing the order as less than four seconds cover the field.
Mercedes sends both cars out immediately at the start of Q2 with a used set of soft tyres, Russell setting a 1m 32.523s and leaving himself three-tenths clear of Hamilton and Leclerc, as Antonelli is half a second back in fourth. Verstappen is initially best of the rest as Bearman sets an impressive time to occupy sixth from Norris, Gasly, Hadjar and Piastri after the initial runs with a mix of old and new soft tyres in action. On the second runs, Leclerc goes fastest with a 1m 32.486s as Hamilton falls just 0.081s short of his team mate in P3, before Antonelli demotes them all to go fractionally quicker on a 1m 32.443s which remains top at the chequered flag. Russell is left in third between the two Ferrari drivers, the Sprint winner unable to improve on his second run and complaining that “something is not right with the car, I've got major understeer”, as Mercedes inspects his front wing. Norris finishes fifth from Gasly, Verstappen, Piastri, Bearman and Hadjar, with Hulkenberg once again just missing out on a spot in Q3 after finishing 11th. Colapinto is 12th, while Ocon, Lawson and Lindblad are unable to improve on their final efforts after backing off into the final corner when Bortoleto goes off into the gravel, the Audi driver recovering to the pits and finishing P16. There is drama almost immediately at the start of Q3, as Russell comes to a stop out on track after the opening corners, reporting:
"Something is not right, got massive engine braking".
Before crawling back to the pits stuck in first gear. The Briton’s misfortune opens the door for his team mate Antonelli, who sets a 1m 32.322s with his first lap, leaving him three tenths clear of Leclerc with Hamilton a further four tenths back. Antonelli lowers the benchmark even further with his second lap - posting a 1m 32.064s - which proves crucial as Russell is able to complete a single flying lap, falling two-tenths short of another pole. The result means Antonelli becomes the youngest F1 polesitter for a Grand Prix, having taken pole for the Miami Sprint last season. Hamilton bests Leclerc as both Ferrari drivers jump ahead of McLaren duo Piastri and Norris, the reigning champions having placed themselves behind Antonelli after the opening runs. The remainder of the top 10 sees Gasly take seventh from Verstappen, with Hadjar in ninth and Bearman in 10th. Kimi Antonelli admits that he is feeling great after claiming his maiden Grand Prix pole position during Qualifying in China, with the result seeing the Italian become the sport’s new youngest-ever polesitter. There are mixed fortunes for the Mercedes drivers across Q3, as George Russell experiences a brief stoppage on track when the segment gets underway. While he is able to return to the pits and rejoin the session, it leaves the Briton with only enough time for one flying lap.
Antonelli has already set the benchmark by this point - and Russell’s sole effort is not enough to topple his team mate, the youngster’s time of 1m 32.064s ultimately bettering Russell by 0.222s. This makes Antonelli the youngest driver to clinch pole at 19 years, six months and 17 days old, beating previous record holder Sebastian Vettel who is 21 years and 73 days old at the time of his pole at the 2008 Italian Grand Prix. Asked for his feelings after beating the record - and for his reflections on the session in general - Antonelli says:
"I’m feeling great. It was a good session, a good way to end the day after a difficult Sprint. Of course there’s a lot of excitement, but the focus is already ahead on tomorrow because there’s a big, big opportunity and I just really want to maximise it".
In terms of his thinking for Sunday’s Grand Prix, Antonelli aims to have a clean getaway - having suffered a difficult start during Saturday’s Sprint:
"I think the start is going to be interesting. I’m going to try not to overcomplicate things, just going to try to have a clean start and the pace is good. Just need to also manage the tyres the best way possible because graining could be quite severe tomorrow, so just going to try to stay on top of that. But the main thing is a clean start and then we’ll see from there".
Speaking earlier after jumping out of the car, Antonelli also shares an insight into how he manages to remain focused when Russell experiences problems:
"I saw he had an issue but I just tried to keep my focus, to stay calm and try to deliver a good lap, which it was at the end".
George Russell admits that starting second for the Chinese Grand Prix is damage limitation after the Mercedes driver suffers a car issue in the final part of Qualifying. The Briton takes victory earlier on Saturday in the Sprint to extend his lead in the Drivers’ Championship after claiming top spot last weekend at the season-opener in Australia. But the first chink in Mercedes’ domination of the 2026 season so far comes at the very start of Q3, with Russell coming to a stop after the opening corners. Having crawled back to the pits while stuck in first gear, Mercedes performs resets which seem to fix the problem and allow Russell a chance at a single fastest lap that proves good enough for P2 behind team mate, Kimi Antonelli:
"Definitely damage limitation. In Q2 the front wing broke - we were wrapping our heads around that - and then obviously went out in Q3 on track, the car wasn’t restarting, couldn’t change gear. I’m happy to be standing here because I started the last lap, had no battery, no tyre temp, no nothing. But the team have done a really great job to get us into this position - it could have been much worse, so very glad and well done to this guy, first pole".
Despite Mercedes locking out the front row for the third race in succession, Russell is quick to point out that the Ferraris of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc prove a threat in both Australia and the China Sprint. Starting on the second row for Sunday’s 56-lap race and with some of the best starts on the grid, Hamilton and Leclerc could prove a thorn in the side of Russell and Antonelli:
"We need to take care of the guys in red as well - they were super-fast off the line. I’m sure Lewis is going to be pretty dicey at the beginning of the race, but I think for us just to try to keep it clean, have a good race, try and put on a good race for the fans and see what we can do".
Lewis Hamilton believes Ferrari make a step forward this weekend after the Briton and team mate Charles Leclerc secure second-row starts for the Chinese Grand Prix. The seven-time World Champion finishes third fastest during Qualifying on Saturday and starts behind the Mercedes duo Kimi Antonelli and George Russell for Sunday’s 56-lap race in Shanghai. Hamilton is only 0.351s behind Antonelli in the classification, a much smaller gap than Mercedes previously has over the field at the season-opener in Australia last weekend. While Hamilton believes Russell’s Q3 car problems might have contributed to the gap being smaller, he admits that the Scuderia are moving in the right direction:
"I do take it with a pinch of salt because I don't think George got a consistent bunch of runs and I think maybe he would have been a little bit quicker had he had consistent runs. But either way, we'll take it and I think we have improved the car a tiny bit. We haven't changed or upgraded the car, it's not like we've truly halved the gap but we made a step forward".
Hamilton challenges for the lead in Saturday’s Sprint, going wheel-to-wheel with eventual winner Russell, but believes it will be a tall order to challenge the Mercedes duo in Sunday’s longer Grand Prix:
"These guys are going to be rapid in the race as they were today and it's going to be very hard to keep them at bay. I think I've got to figure out a different approach tomorrow to go the distance and have pace throughout the race, that's my main focus now. The Sprint race wasn't really good for me performance-wise. It was good at the start but then after that it died off, so I can't have that tomorrow".
Leclerc, meanwhile, starts fourth but believes that with Ferrari’s impressive starts, along with the unique style of racing the current generation of cars offers, anything is possible:
"With these cars starting P1, P2, P3, P4, after three laps, everything is quite chaotic and we will be there. I'm happy with where I start and tomorrow in the race I normally feel a little bit better here so I'm looking forward to that".
Oscar Piastri believes that McLaren are about where we belong after taking P5 and P6 in Qualifying for Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix, with Lando Norris suggesting that the team are a step behind their rivals. Following the squad’s P4 and P6 for Norris and Piastri respectively in the Sprint, the reigning Teams’ Champions experience a similar level of performance in Qualifying, though Piastri feels that they may have moved closer during the Q3 segment. Asked if his fifth place is the most he can get out of the afternoon, the Australian answers:
"I think so. The last lap I did was not the greatest, so I think there was potentially a bit more in it, but just very difficult to get everything out of the car today. I’m reasonably happy with it - it’s about where we kind of belong. I felt like in Q3 we maybe got a little bit closer, but we’ve still got some work to do".
In terms of the thinking for Sunday’s Grand Prix - off the back of an eventful start in Saturday’s Sprint - Piastri says:
"Try and get a good start if I can - that’s probably the first thing, and then see what the tyres do. I think the tyres were a pretty big factor in the Sprint, but I think just car pace is going to be very important. We’ll see what our pace is like, and if we’ve got enough grip then maybe we can mix it with the guys at the front, but we’ll wait and see".
Norris echoes Piastri’s sentiments, with the Briton admitting that there may potentially be more in his lap:
"Both runs in Q3 were pretty similar, I think I made a big mistake on my first lap in the final corner, which cost me maybe a tenth, and maybe a tenth is almost a position but it’s very close to the Ferraris. It’s tough because you think, could we have got another tenth and a half out of it or something? I think that was in it today, so I just didn’t quite hook it up but otherwise I think we’re probably where we deserve to be. I think the Ferraris are quicker and it will be tough to race against them tomorrow".
Asked whether there are any opportunities for McLaren come Sunday - and if the start might act as a possibility - Norris adds:
"No idea on the start - it could be amazing, it could not be good, you never really know. A lot of our starts have been good, so touch wood it’s the same tomorrow. We’ll see how we can challenge the guys ahead, at least how we can put them under pressure, [and] see if they make any mistakes. But it’s clear that we’re a step behind, and therefore racing that kind of car is always going to be tricky, but you never know".
Max Verstappen believes that changes implemented by Red Bull for Qualifying make zero difference, with the four-time World Champion set to start the Chinese Grand Prix from eighth on the grid. The Dutchman endures a difficult start to the season with the RB22, and his fortunes fail to improve on Saturday in Shanghai as he finishes outside the points in the Sprint. Later in Qualifying, Verstappen is unable to match the pace set by Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren, qualifying nearly one second behind polesitter Kimi Antonelli on the fourth row:
"It's the same. We changed the whole car from the Sprint Race and it makes zero difference. I have no balance, so you can't even lap after lap get a bit of a reference because it's just all over the place and it's incredibly difficult to drive. It's not good. We are where we should be. That's probably also where we will be racing tomorrow".
Red Bull team mate Isack Hadjar is also unable to challenge the leading teams, with the Frenchman set to start 10th on the grid:
"Honestly, no regrets. I did everything I could, put a good lap in, but I'm just not very happy with the balance and I was just a bit slow compared with the cars around. It's not where we want to be as a team but we will just fight and understand. There's been a lot of work to turn things around compared with yesterday. We are so far away from the lead that we are trying things and it's still not really working but at least we try and understand".
Even before the lights go out for the 56-lap race at the Shanghai International Circuit there is drama, with four drivers unable to make the start including both McLaren drivers. Reigning World Champion Norris is unable even to reach the grid, while Piastri’s McLaren is wheeled back into the pit lane prior to the formation lap, with the team later confirming that two separate electrical problems with the power unit on each car are the cause. That also makes it two non-starts for the Australian this year after his reconnaissance lap crash in Melbourne. Also not making the start is Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto with a hydraulics issue, while Alex Albon is due to start from the pit lane after a suspension change on his Williams but he fails to get going. When the lights do go out, polesitter Antonelli immediately moves across on Russell to open up space on the younger Mercedes driver’s left that allows Hamilton to surge into the lead from P3 on the grid on the outside. Leclerc moves ahead of Russell and tries to go around the outside of Antonelli as well, but the Ferrari driver finds himself pinched on the kerb at the Turn 3 left-hander and falls back into third. Behind, Hadjar finds himself spinning at Turn 13 heading onto the back straight, forcing Bearman into avoiding action, while the second Red Bull of Verstappen on the soft tyre slips to the back of the field after another sluggish start off the line. Hamilton’s lead lasts less than two laps, Antonelli moving back in front into the Turn 14 hairpin and the Italian immediately pulls one second ahead. Russell is also on the move, demoting Leclerc for P3 at the start of Lap 3 and repeating the move on Hamilton two laps later. Lawson, Verstappen and Sainz become the first runners to pit at the end of Lap 10, rejoining just as Stroll brings his Aston Martin to a stop at Turn 1 that necessitates a Safety Car. The leading runners all pit to swap their medium Pirelli tyres for fresh hard rubber, Antonelli rejoining in the lead but now heading Colapinto and Ocon, both having started on the hard tyre and deciding not to pit, as Russell, Hamilton, Lindblad, Leclerc, Hulkenberg, Gasly and Bearman complete the top 10 for the restart. As racing resumes, Russell struggles to generate heat in his tyres and suffers from a lack of grip, running slightly wide at Turn 6 and allowing Hamilton in front, who in turn demotes Ocon and Colapinto within a lap. Russell also clears the pair but loses another position to Leclerc in the process, with Antonelli now leading both Ferrari drivers and his team mate.
As the leading quartet pulls clear of the chasing pack, Colapinto leads a gaggle of cars which includes Ocon, Bearman, Gasly and Verstappen. Over the following laps, Bearman moves to the front of the train with his fresher tyres, followed by Verstappen as Gasly also finds his way in front of Colapinto, with Lindblad further back suffering a spin at Turn 14 before rejoining. On Lap 24, Leclerc moves up to second at Turn 14 into the braking zone, the Ferrari drivers engaging in a thrilling duel over the next few laps, which includes running side-by-side through the opening turns, as well as swapping positions through Turn 9 and 10 at one stage. The in-house fighting allows Antonelli to crucially extend his margin to seven seconds, as Russell eventually picks Leclerc and Hamilton off before pulling his own gap to the Ferrari drivers. The Ferraris soon fight again, Leclerc having run deep at Turn 14 on Lap 35 and losing P3 to Hamilton before trying to fight back into Turn 1 but being rebuffed. Further back, Ocon is slapped with a 10-second penalty for colliding with Colapinto at Turn 2, the Alpine driver having rejoined from his pit stop just in front of the Haas driver, who is up to speed having stopped earlier. Leclerc moves back ahead of Hamilton at Turn 14 on Lap 39, but Hamilton fights back at Turn 1 in a decisive move for the final podium position, the two drivers now 20s behind Antonelli as Russell reduces the margin to his team mate to under seven seconds. Despite a lock-up at Turn 14 with just a handful of laps remaining, Antonelli maintains a comfortable margin over Russell, who is struggling with tyre wear, becoming the second youngest driver in F1 history to win a Grand Prix. Hamilton finishes 25 seconds adrift of the newest race winner, but more than three seconds clear of Leclerc, who comments on the radio that the intra-team battle is actually quite fun. Bearman is best of the rest having recovered from his avoiding action on the opening lap, as Gasly heads Lawson and Hadjar. Sainz scores Williams’ first points of the season in P9 as Colapinto recovers from his collision with Ocon to claim the final point on offer. Hulkenberg finishes where he starts in P11 from Lindblad and Bottas, with Ocon overtaking Perez late on after serving his penalty in the pits. Verstappen and the two Aston Martins of Alonso and Stroll fail to finish the race, while the McLarens of Norris and Piastri, as well as Bortoleto and Albon, fail to even make the start on Sunday.
An emotional Kimi Antonelli thanks his Mercedes team after they help me to achieve this dream following the teenager's victory in the Chinese Grand Prix. The 19-year-old becomes the youngest F1 polesitter for a Grand Prix in Saturday's Qualifying in Shanghai before claiming his first victory in the championship on Sunday, becoming the second youngest driver to achieve the feat behind only four-time World Champion, Max Verstappen. Antonelli is left emotional after the race and thanks Mercedes for the support, having been called up to the team in 2025 to replace the departing Lewis Hamilton after just a single season in Formula 2 despite some doubts from critics:
"I’m speechless. I’m about to cry, to be honest. Thank you so much to my team, because they helped me to achieve this dream".
Antonelli endures a mixed debut season in 2025, claiming pole for the Miami Sprint and Grand Prix podiums in Canada and Brazil, but he also suffers a mid-season dip that puts him under pressure. His 2026 season begins strongly, though, including finishing runner-up at the season-opener in Australia before victory in China, leading almost from start to finish, with his only mistake a lock-up into the Turn 14 hairpin in the closing stages. In the process, Antonelli becomes the first Italian to win a Grand Prix in more than 20 years after Giancarlo Fisichella's victory in the 2006 Malaysian Grand Prix:
"I’m super happy. I said yesterday I really wanted to bring Italy back on top and we did today, even though I gave myself a little bit of a heart attack towards the end with the flat-spot. It was a good race".
Antonelli only concedes the lead briefly on the opening lap, having tried to cover team mate Mercedes George Russell on the inside, but allowing the Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton from P3 to swoop into first, before the Mercedes driver moves back ahead on Lap 2:
“It was not an easy start. Probably I covered a bit too much on the inside and gave too much room to the Ferrari. At the end the pace was good and we managed to bring it home".
George Russell expects a tight year ahead following his team mate Kimi Antonelli’s debut victory at the Chinese Grand Prix, with the Briton reflecting on an intense day in which he claims second place. While the Ferrari pair of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc again have the advantage over the Silver Arrows duo off the line, polesitter Antonelli later returns to the lead while Russell ultimately climbs back up to second. Things are not necessarily straightforward for the championship leader, however, as he finds himself behind the Ferraris at the restart following a Safety Car, which is deployed due to Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin stopping out on track. After biding his time while the Scuderia pair battle ahead, Russell eventually overtakes and stretches out a gap to take P2 just over five seconds behind Antonelli. Having branded the 1-2 result as all we can ask for, the British racer goes on to sum up his Sunday as an intense day:
"Obviously the race start, Ferrari got the upper hand of us; Safety Car restart, they got the upper hand on us, and unfortunately that hindered my chances of going for victory. Kimi did a great job so really well done to him, but Ferrari once again… Three races down, three races they’ve made our life pretty awkward in those opening laps. At least I’m glad it provided some good entertainment for you".
Russell also shares his congratulations for Antonelli, who claims his first-ever win in Formula 1, saying that the youngster has:
"Been driving really amazing this year and this weekend especially, so I’m pleased to be standing on the podium with him".
The 28-year-old later reflects further on what the accolade means to Antonelli, as well as giving his take on how the Mercedes team now move forward to the next race of the season in Japan:
"It’s a day you remember forever, so a very special moment. It brings back some memories, but it was only a matter of time for him. He’s an incredible driver, he’s got a huge amount of talent, and I’m sure it’s going to be a tight year".
Lewis Hamilton claims the Chinese Grand Prix is one of the most enjoyable races I’ve had after a thrilling intra-team battle with Charles Leclerc, before claiming his first Grand Prix podium since joining Ferrari. The seven-time World Champion puts in a strong performance over the weekend at the Shanghai International Circuit, which is the venue for Hamilton's only appearance on a rostrum in 2025 after victory in the China Sprint. Having finished third in Saturday's 19-lap Sprint, the Briton surges into the lead of the 56-lap Grand Prix from P3 on the grid, driving around the outside of polesitter Kimi Antonelli. After conceding the position on the next lap, Hamilton's main focus then centres on beating team mate Leclerc, the pair battling throughout the race with several wheel-to-wheel moments in a frenetic contest. Hamilton ultimately comes out on top, finishing third behind the second Mercedes of George Russell:
"It was one of the most enjoyable races I’ve had in a long, long time, if ever, the fact that the cars are the way they are this year. And that battle with Charles at the end was awesome - great wheel-to-wheel battle, very fair and just what we want. I think there was one moment where we did touch but it was subtle, just a kiss, so it’s okay. But this is what it’s about - it’s about tough racing, and I’ve got to say a huge thank you to everyone at Ferrari, everyone back at Maranello for getting us into this position. I know it’s not exactly where we want to be - we want to be up front where these guys Mercedes are, but we’ve got a great platform to work off and we’ve just got to go literally full gas".
Hamilton is also quick to praise new race winner Antonelli, the Italian teenager having been brought into Mercedes to fill Hamilton's seat after the Briton leaves at the end of 2024:
"I have to say a huge congratulations to Kimi - I’m so, so happy for you buddy, and I’m so honoured to be able to share this moment with him. He took my seat at this great team, so big congratulations to Mercedes - they’re really pulling ahead at the moment, and we’ve got a lot of work to do to keep up".
Charles Leclerc enjoys the fight with Ferrari team mate Lewis Hamilton in the Chinese Grand Prix as the pair engage in an entertaining battle for the final podium position in Sunday's race. The duo occupy the second row of the grid ahead of the 56-lap race at the Shanghai International Circuit, having briefly battled in Saturday's Sprint with Hamilton getting the upper hand to finish third. The seven-time World Champion comes out on top of their tussle again during the Grand Prix, having briefly gained the lead on the opening lap, later admitting it is one of the most enjoyable races I’ve had. Leclerc also feels the same, going wheel-to-wheel with his team mate at several points, including a switchback of positions through Turns 9 and 10 at one stage. The new 2026 regulations offer drivers the chance to fight for positions over multiple laps with the use of overtake mode and less dirty air through the corners. Leclerc states earlier in the weekend that he struggles to get fully to grips with the Shanghai circuit, and that Hamilton does a better job throughout to earn his first Grand Prix podium with the Scuderia Ferrari:
"I actually really enjoyed the race. Of course, a little bit disappointed to lose out on the podium but on the other side I'm happy for Lewis and I think he deserves it more than I do on a weekend like this where he's been more on top of things than me. He's just been stronger since FP1 to now, but it was a very nice race. I enjoyed the fight and the only big negative I would say is the gap to Mercedes, which on a day like this, we can see that they are a big step ahead of everyone, so we've got to work hard. We enjoyed it [the wheel-to-wheel battle]. I did, I couldn't speak with Lewis yet because he was on the podium but it was a nice battle and there was this overtake mode battle for whoever was behind. There was many things going on which was quite cool".
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri explain the separate pre-race issues that affect their cars at the Chinese Grand Prix, resulting in neither McLaren driver starting the race. After the squad qualifies on the third row - with Piastri in fifth ahead of Norris in sixth - there already look to be problems for Norris when the rest of the field line up on the grid ahead of the start of Sunday’s race, the Briton’s car remaining in the garage while the crew works on a problem. As questions continue over whether Norris’ machine will be fixed in time to participate in the Grand Prix, Piastri’s car is also returned to the garage prior to the formation lap - and ultimately neither makes it out in time for the race. With this marking Piastri’s second consecutive non-start - having missed his home event in Australia one week earlier following a crash en route to the grid - the 24-year-old admits that suffering another early exit is disappointing:
"It was an electrical problem on the power unit, different to Lando’s. Just very unfortunate to both have issues, but we don’t fully know any more than that at this point so, yeah, obviously disappointing".
In terms of how the team can move forward from the double DNS, Piastri continues:
"I think try and learn what we can by watching the race, then after that just trying to do as much work as we can before Japan. I think obviously the problems today have been annoying, but I think besides that we know we’ve got work to do to find more performance, so that’s what we’ll try and focus on".
Norris also speaks to the media following his early departure from the race and, when asked what he can share about what happened, says:
"Not a huge amount, honestly - just an issue that’s not letting us even start the car. That’s basically it, that’s all I know for now - I think they’re still trying to investigate what is actually happening or what’s going on and why it’s not working as it should. Of course frustrating to come such a long way, put in a lot of effort - not just me but the whole team - and not even start a race, so it’s disappointing".
The reigning World Champion suggests that McLaren have:
"Just got to take it on the chin. We’ve got to learn what the problem was, first of all - two different issues on both of our cars. Just unlucky, frustrating, but nothing we can do now. We just have to fix the issue, make sure it doesn’t happen again and focus on the next one".
Max Verstappen explains the reasons behind his frustrating retirement from the Chinese Grand Prix, with the Dutchman admitting that Red Bull have a lot to learn from after a difficult weekend for the team. After labelling his experience in Saturday’s Sprint as a disaster, Verstappen starts from eighth for Sunday’s event but finds himself running further down the field during the race, having dropped backwards at the start. He eventually retires from the running after 45 laps with a car issue. Reflecting on his tough day at the Shanghai International Circuit, the four-time World Champion explains:
"Same problem as yesterday in the start, so we were last again, and then tried to find my way forwards but again we had the same problem as in the Sprint Race, where there was just a lot of deg, a lot of graining on the tyres. That always makes it very complicated, and then we had to retire the car with the ERS cooling issues".
Pushed on how the team can move forwards from a challenging few days in China - before the next round of the season in Japan - Verstappen responds:
"Yeah, I mean a lot to learn from. It’s definitely not where we want to be, of course, but I also know that the team is giving it everything, so it’s frustrating for me but also frustrating for them. At the end of the day we need to try and figure it out together. We’ll of course try to be a bit better for Japan, but after that we have a bit of a bigger break now that hopefully we can use to sort some stuff out".
On the other side of the garage, Isack Hadjar faces an eventful race. After starting from ninth on the grid, the French driver engages in a first-lap battle with Haas’ Ollie Bearman before going on to spin off the track. While he rejoins, Hadjar falls down the order - but an action-packed race that also features a number of retirements sees the Red Bull racer recover to a final result of P8, scoring four valuable points for the team:
"I didn’t see that first-lap spin coming. The rear snapped out so fast, and it’s a shame because we had a good start. Still somehow we got quite lucky with some cars having issues and us ending up in the points when clearly our pace was not great the whole weekend. We got lucky on that, and we need to regroup and do better".
Asked if he takes some personal satisfaction from getting everything out of the car on a tricky weekend, Hadjar answers:
"Yeah, sure. Since Melbourne, apart from the mistake I did on Lap 1, I think I’m quite happy about my own performance. That’s all I can do so far, and improve our car".