Formula 1, Sportrik Media - George Russell set the fastest time in the only free practice session of the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix, leading a dominant one-two for Mercedes at the Shanghai International Circuit.
The championship leader posted a best lap of 1:32.741, finishing 0.120 seconds ahead of team-mate Kimi Antonelli. The Mercedes pairing held a significant advantage, running more than half a second quicker than the closest rival.
Behind the leading duo, Lando Norris placed third for McLaren, narrowly ahead of team-mate Oscar Piastri. The battle for the top positions also featured both Ferrari cars, with Charles Leclerc securing fifth place.
Team-mate Lewis Hamilton ended the session sixth, although his fastest lap came on a set of soft tyres that had already completed four laps, unlike the fresh-tyre runs used by most drivers ahead of him.
Further down the order, Oliver Bearman placed seventh for Haas, while reigning world champion Max Verstappen finished eighth for Red Bull Racing.
Completing the top ten were Nico Hulkenberg for Audi and Pierre Gasly for Alpine in a competitive midfield session.
With the Chinese Grand Prix operating under the sprint format this weekend, the sole practice session represented the only opportunity for teams to gather setup data before the sprint qualifying session 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 | - - |
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