George Russell delivered another statement performance on Friday by taking the Sprint pole in China Sprint Qualifying at the Shanghai International Circuit.
The Mercedes driver led a front-row lockout for the team ahead of teammate Kimi Antonelli after a commanding session on March 13.
Russell topped all three segments and set a best lap of 1:31.520 in the final shootout. No rival came close to matching his pace, giving Mercedes a clear edge heading into Saturday’s Sprint race.
Antonelli secured second place, 0.289 seconds behind his teammate. McLaren’s Lando Norris qualified third, with Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton fourth and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri fifth.
The session also ended with uncertainty. FIA stewards opened investigations into alleged impeding incidents involving Antonelli and Norris at Turn 1, and Pierre Gasly and Max Verstappen at Turn 14. Any penalties would affect the Sprint starting grid.
As it happened in the China Sprint Qualifying
SQ1: Early drama as Perez is ruled out
Sprint Qualifying began with chaos before the first serious laps started. Cadillac confirmed Sergio Perez would not run in SQ1 because of a fuel system issue that the team could not fix in time.
That meant only five drivers would be eliminated instead of the usual six. The rest of the field gained a small margin of safety.
Russell quickly set the pace. He posted a 1:33.030 and went more than seven tenths faster than the nearest Ferrari.
Lewis Hamilton also showed strong speed. He briefly went fastest despite encountering traffic from Franco Colapinto during his run.
Nico Hulkenberg produced an impressive early lap and placed his Audi between the two Ferrari cars at one stage. Red Bull also raised eyebrows when Isack Hadjar edged Max Verstappen by 0.053 seconds.
At the bottom of the order, familiar names from the slower teams dropped out. Carlos Sainz, Alexander Albon, Fernando Alonso, Lance Stroll and Valtteri Bottas were eliminated alongside the absent Perez.
Eliminated in SQ1:
Sainz (17th), Albon (18th), Alonso (19th), Stroll (20th), Bottas (21st), Perez (22nd, DNS).
SQ2: Hulkenberg agonisingly close, Antonelli under investigation
The second segment also used the mandatory medium tyres and produced a tight battle for the final ten places in SQ3.
McLaren tried a different strategy. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri completed double preparation laps before pushing, which delayed a clear view of their pace.
Russell again set the early benchmark with a 1:33.030. Charles Leclerc briefly moved Ferrari to the top before Hamilton jumped to second after improving on a messy first attempt.
Antonelli looked quick throughout the session. He briefly topped the timing screens before Russell returned to the front.
The fight for the final spot in SQ3 became tense. Nico Hulkenberg missed the cut by just 0.015 seconds behind Hadjar.
Franco Colapinto was the last driver to advance. Both McLarens progressed safely, while Pierre Gasly and Oliver Bearman secured the remaining midfield places.
The stewards later noted an incident involving Antonelli and Norris at Turn 1. Norris complained on the radio that he had been blocked during a push lap.
Eliminated in SQ2:
Hulkenberg (11th), Esteban Ocon (12th), Liam Lawson (13th), Gabriel Bortoleto (14th), Arvid Lindblad (15th), Colapinto (16th).
SQ3: Russell delivers a masterclass, Antonelli just falls short
The final segment used soft tyres and came down to one flying lap for five of the ten cars.
Mercedes sent Russell and Antonelli out early. Several other teams stayed in the pits and waited for the track to improve before their runs.
Antonelli produced a strong lap through the first two sectors. For a moment, he looked capable of challenging his teammate.
Russell answered in the final sector. He put together a clean and fast sequence of corners that secured a 1:31.520 lap and Sprint pole.
Antonelli finished second, 0.289 seconds behind. Norris took third place, 0.621 seconds off Russell’s time.
Hamilton qualified fourth ahead of Piastri. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc placed sixth.
Pierre Gasly produced another strong run to finish seventh for Alpine. He outqualified former teammate Max Verstappen, who struggled and placed eighth, more than 1.7 seconds off pole.
Oliver Bearman continued his impressive weekend by taking ninth for Haas. Hadjar completed the top ten.
The session ended with two steward investigations still pending. Officials will review possible impeding incidents involving Antonelli and Norris, and Gasly and Verstappen.
Russell’s reaction
Russell sounded relaxed after stepping out of the car. The Mercedes driver said the team has confidence in its package.
“The car has been feeling amazing,” Russell said after the session. “We knew after Melbourne we had a really good car. The engine is performing really well, and the car was a joy to drive.”
He added that the team has focused on improving race starts since the opening round.
“Since Melbourne, we have been working on how to get off the line quicker,” he said. “So I guess we’ll find out tomorrow.”
Former strategist Ruth Buscombe, speaking on F1 TV, noted that a strong launch could decide the Sprint race. With only 19 laps and no pit stops, track position will be crucial.
Sprint Qualifying classification
| Pos | Driver | Team | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:31.520 |
| 2 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +0.289 |
| 3 | Lando Norris | McLaren | +0.621 |
| 4 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +0.641 |
| 5 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +0.704 |
| 6 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +1.008 |
| 7 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +1.368 |
| 8 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | +1.734 |
| 9 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | +1.889 |
| 10 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull | +2.203 |
| 11 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | Eliminated SQ2 |
| 12 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | Eliminated SQ2 |
| 13 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | Eliminated SQ2 |
| 14 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | Eliminated SQ2 |
| 15 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | Eliminated SQ2 |
| 16 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | Eliminated SQ2 |
| 17 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | Eliminated SQ1 |
| 18 | Alexander Albon | Williams | Eliminated SQ1 |
| 19 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | Eliminated SQ1 |
| 20 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | Eliminated SQ1 |
| 21 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | Eliminated SQ1 |
| 22 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | DNS |
Note: Grid positions remain provisional pending the stewards’ decisions.
2026 Chinese Grand Prix: Weekend schedule (local Shanghai time, CST)
| Session | Day | Local Time (CST) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Practice 1 | Friday, March 13 | 11:30 | Completed |
| Sprint Qualifying | Friday, March 13 | 15:30 | Completed |
| F1 Sprint | Saturday, March 14 | 11:00 | Upcoming |
| Qualifying | Saturday, March 14 | 15:00 | Upcoming |
| Chinese Grand Prix | Sunday, March 15 | 15:00 | Upcoming |
