Formula 1 heads to China for the second race of the season at the Shanghai International Circuit - and the first sprint weekend of the 2026 season.
Mercedes made a strong statement at the season-opener in Australia, ushering in F1’s new era with a one-two finish led by title favourite George Russell, ahead of teammate Kimi Antonelli.
Charles Leclerc secured a podium for Ferrari, who were Mercedes’s closest challengers in Melbourne. Lewis Hamilton finished fourth and is still chasing his first grand prix top-three finish for the Scuderia. Last year in China, he won the sprint race before a crushing double disqualification in the race.
Max Verstappen voiced his dissatisfaction with the new F1 regulations, especially the energy management aspect of the 2026 cars, and has not ruled out quitting the sport. Defending champion Lando Norris finished fifth as McLaren looked short of pace compared to Mercedes, while Oscar Piastri is looking to bounce back after a devastating pre-race crash at his home event.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Chinese Grand Prix.
When is the Chinese Grand Prix?
All times GMT
Friday 13 March
- Free practice 1: 3:30am
- Sprint qualifying: 7:30am
Saturday 14 March
- Sprint race: 3am
- Qualifying: 7am
Sunday 15 March
- Race: 7am
How can I watch it online and on TV?
The Chinese Grand Prix will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom. Sky’s coverage of Sunday’s race starts at 5:30am (GMT).
Sky Sports subscribers can watch all the action in Shanghai on the Sky Go app. If you’re not a Sky customer, you can grab a NOWTV Day Pass here to watch without a subscription.
If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch the Chinese Grand Prix then you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN roundup is here to help.
Driver standings ahead of Chinese GP
1. George Russell (Mercedes) - 25 points
2. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) - 18 points
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 15 points
4. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) - 12 points
5. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 10 points
6. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 8 points
7. Ollie Bearman (Haas) - 6 points
8. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) - 4 points
9. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) - 2 points
10. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) - 1 point
11. Esteban Ocon (Haas) - 0 points
12. Alex Albon (Williams) - 0 points
13. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) - 0 points
14. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) - 0 points
15. Carlos Sainz (Williams) - 0 points
16. Sergio Perez (Cadillac) - 0 points
17. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) - 0 points
18. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 0 points
19. Nico Hulkenberg (Audi) - 0 points
20. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) - 0 points
21. Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac) - 0 points
Constructor standings ahead of Chinese GP
1. Mercedes - 43 points
2. Ferrari - 27 points
3. McLaren - 10 points
4. Red Bull - 8 points
5. Haas - 6 points
6. Racing Bulls - 4 points
7. Audi - 2 points
8. Alpine - 1 point
9. Williams - 0 points
10. Cadillac - 0 points
11. Aston Martin - 0 points
What is the 2026 race calendar?
ROUND 2 - CHINA (sprint weekend)
Shanghai International Circuit, 13-15 March
ROUND 3 - JAPAN
Suzuka International Racing Course - 27-29 March
ROUND 4 - BAHRAIN
Bahrain International Circuit - 10-12 April
ROUND 5 - SAUDI ARABIA
Jeddah Corniche Circuit - 17-19 April
ROUND 6 - MIAMI (sprint weekend)
Miami International Autodrome, Hard Rock Stadium - 1-3 May
ROUND 7 - CANADA (sprint weekend)
Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal - 22-24 May
ROUND 8 - MONACO
Circuit de Monaco - 5-7 June
ROUND 9 - SPAIN (Barcelona)
Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya - 12-14 June
ROUND 10 - AUSTRIA
Red Bull Ring, Spielberg - 26-28 June
ROUND 11 - GREAT BRITAIN (sprint weekend)
Silverstone Circuit - 3-5 July
ROUND 12 - BELGIUM
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps - 17-19 July
ROUND 13 - HUNGARY
Hungaroring, Budapest - 24-26 July
ROUND 14 - NETHERLANDS (sprint weekend)
Circuit Zandvoort - 21-23 August
ROUND 15 - ITALY
Monza Circuit - 4-6 September
ROUND 16 - SPAIN (Madrid)
Circuito de Madring - 11-13 September
ROUND 17 - AZERBAIJAN
Baku City Circuit - 25-27 September
ROUND 18 - SINGAPORE (sprint weekend)
Marina Bay Street Circuit - 9-11 October
ROUND 19 - UNITED STATES
Circuit of the Americas, Austin - 23-25 October
ROUND 20 - MEXICO
Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City - 30 October-1 November
ROUND 21 - BRAZIL
Interlagos Circuit, Sao Paulo - 6-8 November
ROUND 22 - LAS VEGAS
Las Vegas Street Circuit - 19-21 November
ROUND 23 - QATAR
Lusail International Circuit - 27-29 November
ROUND 24 - ABU DHABI
Yas Marina Circuit - 4-6 December
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