RUSSELL TAKES DOMINANT POLE FOR THE FIRST SPRINT RACE OF THE F1 SEASON
Mercedes continued its strong start to the 2026 season by locking out the front row in Sprint Qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix. George Russell set the fastest time in Shanghai, finishing about three tenths ahead of teammate Kimi Antonelli.
Behind them, McLaren and Ferrari fought closely for the next positions. Lando Norris secured third place, while Lewis Hamilton placed fourth for Ferrari. Oscar Piastri finished fifth, and Charles Leclerc ended the session sixth after losing significant time on the long straight during his final lap.
Pierre Gasly delivered one of the standout performances of the session by finishing seventh for Alpine, ahead of Max Verstappen, Oliver Bearman and Isack Hadjar. Antonelli’s lap, however, is still under investigation after a possible impeding incident involving Norris.
SQ1 – Mercedes shows early pace
The first part of Sprint Qualifying already hinted at Mercedes’ advantage. Despite staying in the garage during the opening minutes, Russell and Antonelli quickly went to the top of the timesheets once they joined the track.
Russell set the fastest lap of the session with a time of 1:33.030, comfortably ahead of Antonelli and the Ferrari of Hamilton.
Track conditions remained tricky, with drivers still dealing with tyre graining and a surface that improved as more laps were completed.
Several teams struggled to keep up, and both Williams cars, both Aston Martins, Cadillac and Valtteri Bottas were eliminated. Cadillac driver Sergio Perez did not even take part due to a fuel system problem on his car.
SQ2 – Leclerc briefly challenges
In the second segment Leclerc showed stronger pace, setting an early lap that was much faster than the rest of the field. However, Russell soon raised the benchmark again with a 1:32.241, finishing three tenths ahead of Antonelli and Leclerc.
Gasly and Bearman also impressed in this phase, managing to secure places in the final round.
Meanwhile, Red Bull continued to struggle. Verstappen barely made it through to SQ3 and looked far less competitive than the leading teams.
Both Audi cars and the Racing Bulls were eliminated in this session, with Nico Hülkenberg missing the cut by only a few hundredths of a second.
SQ3 – Russell secures Sprint Pole
In the final eight-minute session, Russell quickly confirmed his advantage. His first flying lap of 1:31.520 was enough to secure Sprint Pole.
Antonelli improved on his final attempt but still finished almost three tenths behind his teammate.
McLaren used a different strategy by attempting only one flying lap, which worked well for Norris. The British driver took third place, while Piastri finished fifth.
Hamilton placed fourth for Ferrari, while Leclerc could only manage sixth after losing time on the long straight in the final sector, possibly due to a power delivery issue.
Gasly kept his strong form by finishing seventh, ahead of Verstappen, Bearman and Hadjar.
Starting order for the Sprint
The final top ten for the Sprint Race will see Russell starting from pole, with Antonelli alongside him on the front row. Norris and Hamilton will start from the second row, followed by Piastri and Leclerc.
Behind them are Gasly, Verstappen, Bearman and Hadjar.
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