Formula 1, Sportrik Media - George Russell admitted he was caught off guard by an aggressive early attack from Lewis Hamilton during the Sprint race at the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai. The Mercedes driver eventually secured victory after an intense opening duel with his former team-mate.
Hamilton started from fourth on the grid but surged into second place immediately after the start before challenging Russell for the race lead. The two drivers exchanged positions multiple times during the early laps, with Russell overtaking at Turn 14 before Hamilton responded with a move around the outside of Turn 1 on the following lap.
After the initial battle, Russell managed to create a gap and maintain control of the race. He also handled the safety car restart effectively after Nico Hulkenberg stopped on track, allowing the Mercedes driver to secure his first Sprint victory since the 2022 São Paulo Grand Prix.
“It was pretty fun in the end. There was a lot of strategy at play and overtaking here is not easy,” Russell explained after the race.
“I hope it was a fun race to watch. Usually the Sprint races are quite boring, but I had everything under control after the safety car and I’m happy to get the win.”
Russell also highlighted the challenging weather conditions at the Shanghai International Circuit. Strong winds and the long opening corner made tyre management critical, particularly for the front-left tyre which can suffer heavy degradation if pushed too aggressively.
“It was really windy and not easy because the first corner is so long. It only takes one lap of pushing too much to destroy your front-left tyre,” Russell said.
“So it was all about managing, especially when we were battling.”
The British driver also praised Hamilton’s performance in the opening laps, noting that the seven-time world champion’s experience allowed him to launch an immediate attack after the start.
“Lewis did an amazing job in the early laps. He caught me off guard, but he has 20 years of experience,” Russell added.
Russell further suggested that Ferrari showed stronger race pace compared to its qualifying performance, something Mercedes will need to analyse ahead of the full-length Chinese Grand Prix.
The Sprint result strengthens George Russell’s position in the early stages of the 2026 Formula 1 season. However, with the main race still to come in Shanghai, the battle between Mercedes and Ferrari is expected to remain a key storyline heading into Sunday’s grand prix.
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