Russell wins sprint race and Ferrari secures pole in Chinese Grand Prix qualifying

The Chinese Grand Prix weekend at the Shanghai International Circuit delivered action in both the sprint race and the qualifying session for the main race, highlighting the competitiveness of the early stages of the 2026 Formula 1 seaso

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In the sprint race, Mercedes driver George Russell claimed victory after starting from pole position. Russell controlled the pace throughout the short-format race, confirming Mercedes’ strong form at the Shanghai circuit and collecting valuable points for the championship.

Behind him, McLaren driver Lando Norris finished in second place after a solid performance, while Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton completed the podium in third following an intense battle in the final laps.

Later in the day, qualifying for Sunday’s main race saw Ferrari take the spotlight. Charles Leclerc secured pole position with the fastest lap of the session, edging out the competition in a tightly contested Q3. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri qualified second, while Russell placed third to keep Mercedes among the front-runners for the race.

With different teams sharing the spotlight between the sprint and qualifying sessions, the stage is set for a highly competitive main race in Shanghai as the 2026 championship battle continues to unfold.