Formula 1, Sportrik Media - George Russell continued his strong start to the 2026 Formula 1 season by winning the Sprint race at the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai. The Mercedes driver finished ahead of Charles Leclerc of Ferrari by just over six tenths of a second in the 19-lap race at the Shanghai International Circuit.
Russell had already shown strong pace earlier in the weekend by topping the only practice session and securing pole position for the Sprint. His early four-second lead was erased after a safety car was deployed following an incident involving Nico Hulkenberg, but a slow restart from Leclerc allowed Russell to rebuild his advantage and control the race to the finish.
Leclerc secured second place for Ferrari, while team-mate Lewis Hamilton completed the podium after struggling to match Leclerc’s race pace despite starting further up the grid.
Meanwhile, Kimi Antonelli recovered well after receiving a 10-second penalty earlier in the race. The Mercedes driver served the penalty during the safety car pit stops and eventually finished fifth following a strong recovery drive.
Reigning world champion Max Verstappen endured a difficult sprint for Red Bull Racing. Starting from eighth, the Dutch driver dropped positions early in the race before recovering to ninth, just outside the sprint points positions.
Below are the full results from the 2026 Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix Sprint race:
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time / Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | George Russell | Mercedes | 19 Laps |
| 2 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +0.674 |
| 3 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +2.554 |
| 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren | +3.xxx |
| 5 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +4.xxx |
| 6 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +5.xxx |
| 7 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull Racing | +6.xxx |
| 8 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | +7.xxx |
| 9 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | +8.xxx |
| 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +9.xxx |
The Sprint result strengthens George Russell’s position in the early championship standings. However, with 25 points still available for the winner of the full-length Chinese Grand Prix, the battle between Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren remains open heading into Sunday’s main race.
| POS | FOTO | RIDER / TEAM | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
|
George Russell
Mercedes
|
33 |
|
2
|
|
Andrea Kimi Antonelli
Mercedes
|
22 |
|
3
|
|
Charles Leclerc
Ferrari
|
22 |
|
4
|
|
Lewis Hamilton
Ferrari
|
18 |
|
5
|
|
Lando Norris
McLaren
|
15 |
|
6
|
|
Max Verstappen
Red Bull
|
8 |
|
7
|
|
Oliver Bearman
Haas F1 Team
|
7 |
|
8
|
|
Arvid Lindblad
Racing Bulls
|
4 |
|
9
|
|
Oscar Piastri
McLaren
|
3 |
|
10
|
|
Gabriel Bortoleto
Audi
|
2 |
| POS | FOTO | CONSTRUCTOR | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
|
George Russell
|
33 |
|
2
|
|
Andrea Kimi Antonelli
|
22 |
|
3
|
|
Charles Leclerc
|
22 |
|
4
|
|
Lewis Hamilton
|
18 |
|
5
|
|
Lando Norris
|
15 |
|
6
|
|
Max Verstappen
|
8 |
|
7
|
|
Oliver Bearman
|
7 |
|
8
|
|
Arvid Lindblad
|
4 |
|
9
|
|
Oscar Piastri
|
3 |
|
10
|
|
Gabriel Bortoleto
|
2 |
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