- Russell wins the first Sprint of the 2026 F1 season in China.
- Antonelli faced 10-second penalty and finished fifth.
- Ferrari continues to be the best of the rest with a 2-3.
Mercedes’ George Russell’s domination continued as he won the first Sprint race of the season at the Shanghai International Circuit after the Australian Grand Prix.
Thankfully, to not make the race one-sided, the Ferrari drivers, who were surrounded by the McLarens, joined the battle early, momentarily giving Russell a hard time before he eventually took the lead.
Antonelli, on the other hand, faced a boost issue, followed by a collision with Isack Hadjar, which led to a time penalty. However, it was no fret for Mercedes, given that he quickly gained a decent position for points. Meanwhile, the Red Bull drivers continued to face massive struggles, both of them ending up outside the points.
Summary of Chinese Sprint Race
Lewis Hamilton vs. George Russell battle
In a shocking turn of events, Russell, on pole, was challenged by Hamilton (P4) and Lando Norris (P3) at the start of the race, when Antonelli was left behind due to boost issues. While Norris picked up Antonelli’s position (P2), he was later overtaken by Hamilton, sparking an intense overtaking battle between the former and current Mercedes driver. During the initial laps, there were multiple instances when Russell and Hamilton traded the lead before Turn 14 on Lap 5, when Russell locked in and pulled away from the Ferraris. This led to the Ferrari drivers battling it out for P2 and P3.
Antonelli’s disastrous yet decent race
During lights out, Antonelli faced boost issues, which dropped his position in the earlier laps. Shortly after, he then collided with Red Bull’s Hadjar at Turn 6, prompting a penalty. He took a 10-second penalty and served it under the Safety Car, which helped him quickly recover positions. While Antonelli didn’t end up 2nd, he came 5th, which kept him in the points.
The Safety Car’s appearance and DNFs
On Lap 13, Nico Hülkenberg faced an issue, leading to the stoppage of his Audi on track, with a yellow flag waving and prompting the entry of the Safety Car. Meanwhile, during the initial lap, Racing Bulls’ rookie Arvid Lindblad, who started 15th on the grid, spun off the track and didn’t re-enter the race, ending in a DNF.
Piastri and Antonelli’s drama
Piastri overtook Antonelli, ahead of the start-finish line on a Safety Car restart, which could have been seen as an infringement of the FIA rules and could have led to a penalty for the McLaren driver. To avoid risking the points, the McLaren team instructed Piastri to give the position back. This led to Piastri slipping into 6th place.
Max Verstappen’s frustrating start
During lights out, Verstappen faced major issues with the RB22, ranging from poor pace, tyre degradation, and balance, which led him to drop to 15th position after starting 8th. Even with a terrible car, he managed to recover positions in the remaining laps, ending up in 9th with no points. His only key moment of the race was his double overtake on Audi and Haas.
Other moments
Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) and Oliver Bearman (Haas) pulled off impressive performances in the Chinese Sprint, taking a few points for their teams. Lawson finished 7th and Bearman 8th.
Driver standings for the Chinese Sprint Race
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Pts. |
| 1 | George Russell (63) | Mercedes | 8 |
| 2 | Charles Leclerc (16) | Ferrari | 7 |
| 3 | Lewis Hamilton (44) | Ferrari | 6 |
| 4 | Lando Norris (1) | McLaren | 5 |
| 5 | Kimi Antonelli (12) | Mercedes | 4 |
| 6 | Oscar Piastri (81) | McLaren | 3 |
| 7 | Liam Lawson (30) | Racing Bulls | 2 |
| 8 | Oliver Bearman (87) | Haas F1 Team | 1 |
