Formula 1, Sportrik Media - George Russell topped the only free practice session of the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix after setting a best lap of 1:32.741 for Mercedes at the Shanghai International Circuit, finishing 0.120 seconds ahead of team-mate Kimi Antonelli.
The Mercedes duo held a significant advantage over the rest of the field during the one-hour session. Both drivers were more than half a second quicker than the nearest challenger, highlighting the early pace of the W17 at the Shanghai circuit.
Behind the leading pair, Lando Norris finished third for McLaren, narrowly ahead of team-mate Oscar Piastri. The two Ferrari drivers followed, with Charles Leclerc fifth and Lewis Hamilton sixth on the timing sheets.
The opening stages of the session featured several incidents. Franco Colapinto spun his Alpine at Turn 9 shortly after leaving the pit lane, while Hamilton suffered a spin at Turn 6 after locking the brakes during a push lap.
Two virtual safety car periods also interrupted running early in the session. The second interruption was caused when Arvid Lindblad stopped his Racing Bulls car on the inside of Turn 14, ending his practice running after just 15 minutes.
Once the track returned to green conditions, Russell extended his advantage by switching to soft tyres late in the session. The British driver improved his benchmark lap by more than a second before eventually sealing the fastest time with a 1:32.741.
Antonelli was the only driver able to get close to Russell’s pace, while Ferrari did not improve significantly in the closing stages. This allowed the McLaren pair to secure third and fourth after their late soft-tyre runs.
Further down the order, Oliver Bearman impressed by placing his Haas seventh, while reigning world champion Max Verstappen finished eighth for Red Bull Racing.
With the Chinese Grand Prix running under the sprint format this weekend, FP1 represented the only opportunity for teams to gather setup data before moving directly into sprint qualifying later on Friday.
| POS | FOTO | RIDER / TEAM | TIME / GAP | PTS/LAP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |  | George RussellMercedes | 1:32.741 United Kingdom | - - |
2 |  | Kimi AntonelliMercedes | 1:32.861 Italy | - - |
3 |  | Lando NorrisMcLaren | 1:33.296 United Kingdom | - - |
4 |  | Oscar PiastriMcLaren | 1:33.472 Australia | - - |
5 |  | Charles LeclercFerrari | 1:33.599 Monaco | - - |
6 |  | Lewis HamiltonFerrari | 1:34.129 United Kingdom | - - |
7 |  | Oliver BearmanHaas | 1:34.426 United Kingdom | - - |
8 |  | Max VerstappenRed Bull | 1:34.541 Netherlands | - - |
9 |  | Nico HulkenbergAudi | 1:34.639 Germany | - - |
10 |  | Pierre GaslyAlpine | 1:34.676 France | - - |
11 |  | Liam LawsonRacing Bulls | 1:34.773 New Zealand | - - |
12 |  | Gabriel BortoletoAudi | 1:34.828 Brazil | - - |
13 |  | Isack HadjarRed Bull | 1:34.856 Prancis | - - |
14 |  | Esteban OconHaas | 1:34.877 France | - - |
15 |  | Franco ColapintoAlpine | 1:34.947 Argentina | - - |
16 |  | Alexander AlbonWilliams | 1:35.480 Thailand | - - |
17 |  | Carlos SainzWilliams | 1:35.679 Spain | - - |
18 |  | Fernando AlonsoAston Martin | 1:35.856 Spain | - - |
19 |  | Valtteri BottasCadillac | 1:36.057 Finlandia | - - |
20 |  | Lance StrollAston Martin | 1:37.224 Canada | - - |
21 |  | Arvid LindbladRacing Bulls | 1:37.896 Inggris | - - |
22 |  | Sergio PerezCadillac | 1:39.200 Meksiko | - - |
Photo Gallery
Read Also
Max Verstappen warned about the dangers of the Nordschleife ahead of his planned debut in the Nürburgring 24 Hours endurance race.
Check the start time and full schedule for the 2026 Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix Sprint race in Shanghai led by George Russell.
Lando Norris sees the race start as a key opportunity to challenge Mercedes in the Sprint race at the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix.
Continue with Google
Discussion (0)
Join the Discussion!
Sign in easily to start commenting, replying, and interacting with other readers.
Latest Comments
No comments yet. Be the first!