Formula 1, Sportrik Media - George Russell admitted he expected a collision between the two Ferrari drivers during their intense battle in the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix at Shanghai International Circuit. The Mercedes driver described the duel between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc as some of the “most aggressive racing” he has seen in recent years.
Russell lost ground on the opening lap after both Ferrari drivers made strong starts and moved ahead of him. Starting from second place, the British driver dropped to fourth as the two red cars surged forward during the early phase of the race.
Russell later fought back and managed to overtake Hamilton and Leclerc before a safety car intervention reset the order. However, following the restart the Ferrari pair regained their positions, creating a close three-way battle between the two Ferrari drivers and Russell.
In the subsequent fight, Russell eventually reclaimed the positions from both Hamilton and Leclerc. However, the intense battle cost him valuable time compared to his team-mate Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who was leading the race and extending his advantage at the front.
Reflecting on the aggressive nature of the duel between the Ferrari drivers, Russell admitted he was surprised that the battle did not end in contact.
“I was just waiting for the two of them to collide, and somehow they didn’t,” Russell told media including RacingNews365.
“It was some of the most aggressive racing I’ve seen for a while.”
Russell explained that the contrasting performance characteristics of Ferrari and Mercedes made the fight even more complicated throughout the race.
“Ferrari is definitely very quick. They’re quicker in the corners than us, slower than us on the straight, so it just made it a little bit challenging.”
“And when you’re trying to get past two of them at the same time, that wasn’t straightforward.”
Despite the intense fight with Ferrari, Russell left Shanghai still leading the drivers’ championship standings as Mercedes continued its strong start to the 2026 Formula 1 season.
However, the Briton cautioned that the competitive order could change rapidly as teams continue to introduce upgrades over the coming months.
“As it stands, we have the upper hand. But we can’t take that for granted because obviously we know some things are going to be changing in a couple of months,” Russell said.
“The upgrades are massive at the moment, so let’s see where it falls out.”
The Shanghai result further reinforced Mercedes’ strong early-season form, but with development moving quickly across the grid, the balance of performance could shift as the championship progresses through the upcoming rounds.
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