George Russell overcame Lewis Hamilton’s challenge to win the battle of the Britons and take a thrilling sprint race victory at the Chinese Grand Prix.
Russell and Hamilton exchanged the lead six times inside the opening five laps in Shanghai, with the former eventually prevailing to continue his flawless start to the new season.
Hamilton had to settle for third as Russell – a winner in Australia six days ago – took the chequered flag 0.6 seconds clear of Charles Leclerc. Hamilton said: “It was a close battle and their speed on the straights was a little bit too much. I put up a good fight, but I killed my tyres.
Lando Norris finished fourth, one place clear of Russell’s Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli. Max Verstappen started eighth and was ninth at the end following a poor start which left him way down in 16th. Russell now leads Antonelli by 11 points in the championship standings.
Follow live coverage of the Chinese Grand Prix with The Independent
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F1 CHINESE GRAND PRIX - LATEST UPDATES
- Round two of the 2026 F1 season takes place this weekend in China
- HISTORY! Kimi Antonelli becomes youngest-ever pole-sitter in F1 history
- WIN! George Russell claimed thrilling sprint win ahead of Leclerc and Hamilton
- F1 set to cancel races in Bahrain and Saudi
- Rounds four and five in Bahrain (12 April) and Saudi (19 April) won't be replaced
Top-10 in qualifying
08:08 , Kieran Jackson1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) - 1:32:064
2. George Russell (Mercedes) +0.222
3. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) +0.351
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +0.364
5. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +0.486
6. Lando Norris (McLaren) +0.544
7. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) +0.809
8. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.938
9. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) +1.057
10. Ollie Bearman (Haas) +1.228
Kimi Antonelli on pole position!
08:02 , Kieran JacksonThe 19-year-old has done it - Antonelli becomes the youngest-ever pole-sitter in F1 history!
Russell went close in the end but was 0.222 secs off in second!
Lewis Hamilton with an impressive third.
4-10: Leclerc, Piastri, Norris, Gasly, Verstappen, Hadjar, Bearman
“Let’s go man!” says Antonelli!
Russell out on track
07:59 , Kieran JacksonAnd the championship leader is away - he should just squeeze in a lap!
Big battle for pole here - I have 6 cars in contention!
Russell is readying to go
07:58 , Kieran JacksonThe Mercedes still in the garage with three minutes left, but they do look like they’re getting ready to go!
Big moments this weekend...
McLaren pip Ferrari!
07:55 , Kieran JacksonHere come the world champions!
Oscar Piastri goes second, 0.228 secs short of Antonelli, with Lando Norris in third!
Top-10 after first runs: Antonelli, Piastri, Norris, Leclerc, Hamilton, Verstappen, Hadjar, Bearman, Gasly, Russell
They’re working hard on George Russell’s car - will they get him out?!
6:00 to go in Q3...
Antonelli on provisional pole
07:52 , Kieran JacksonWhat a chance this is for the teenager to get his first pole!
He sets a 1:33:322 - three-tenths quicker than Leclerc in second and six-tenths faster than Hamilton in fourth.
Meanwhile, Russell has made it back to the pits. Can they reboot his car?!
8:00 to go in Q3...
Russell gets going
07:50 , Kieran JacksonRussell does get his car going but is going very slowly - and the engine does not sound good!
Russell: “I cannot shift the gears, stuck in first!”
What a spanner in the works! Can they repair it back in the garage?
George Russell has a problem!
07:48 , Kieran JacksonOh wow!
Russell sits motionless on the track at the start of Q3! Can he get it going again? Can he get back to the pits?!
Q2 EXITS
07:45 , Kieran JacksonCut-off: 1:33:352
11. Nico Hulkenberg (Audi) - 1:33:354
12. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) - 1:33:357
13. Esteban Ocon (Haas) - 1:33:538
14. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) - 1:33:765
15. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) - 1:33:784
16. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) - 1:33:965
So close for Hulkenberg and Colapinto!
Bortoleto in the wall!
07:43 , Kieran JacksonThe Audi driver lost it at the final corner, ruining Arvid Lindblad’s lap with yellow flags!
Bortoleto gets the car going again out of the gravel and makes his way to the pits.
Bottom-six and out in Q1 (11-16): Hulkenberg, Colapinto, Ocon, Lawson, Lindblad, Bortoleto
Meanwhile, Russell not happy: “Something not right with the car, major understeer, it’s like the front wing is broken.”
Interesting stuff heading into Q3!
Charles Leclerc quickest
07:38 , Kieran JacksonCan the Ferrari driver take the fight to George Russell? He’s currently P1.
Yet at the bottom, Isack Hadjar is now the senior driver in trouble in P10.
Current bottom-six (11-16): Hulkenberg, Ocon, Colapinto, Lawson, Lindblad, Bortoleto
2:00 to go...
Oscar Piastri precarious in 10th
07:33 , Kieran JacksonFirst runs in Q2 done - Piastri in danger in 10th, just 0.034 secs ahead of Nico Hulkenberg in 11th.
Current bottom-six (11-16): Hulkenberg, Ocon, Colapinto, Lawson, Lindblad, Bortoleto
Plenty of time for that to change...
Q1 EXITS
07:22 , Kieran Jackson17. Carlos Sainz (Williams) - 1:34:317
18. Alex Albon (Williams) - 1:34:772
19. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) - 1:35:203
20. Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac) - 1:35:436
21. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) - 1:35:995
22. Sergio Perez (Cadillac) - 1:36:906
Carlos Sainz out in Q1
07:20 , Kieran JacksonGosh, it really is dour at the moment for Williams, Aston Martin and Cadillac -they’re all out!
Bottom-six and out in Q1 (17-22): Sainz, Albon, Alonso, Bottas, Stroll, Perez
Albon: “Terrible!”
Liam Lawson escapes in P15....
Hamilton now fine
07:15 , Kieran JacksonRelief for Ferrari as their man puts in a clean lap to go third.
At the bottom, it is once again Williams, Aston Martin and Cadillac in the bottom-six right now.
Bottom-six (17-22): Albon, Sainz, Alonso, Bottas, Stroll, Perez
Albon a tenth off Lindblad in 15th. 3:00 to go
Lewis Hamilton in bottom-six
07:11 , Kieran JacksonA loss of control at turn 9 means Hamilton had to abort his lap.
“The car feels good, just lost it,” he said.
Q1 underway!
07:01 , Kieran JacksonBack to traditional grand prix qualifying for the grid now as we get underway with Q1!
18 minutes where we’ll lose the slowest six drivers from the rest of qualifying.
Cadillac, Aston Martin and Williams will be striving to find some much-needed time here...
TOP-8 IN SPRINT RACE
06:59 , Kieran Jackson1. George Russell (Mercedes) - 8 points
2. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 7
3. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) - 6
4. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 5
5. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) - 4
6. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 3
7. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) - 2
8. Oliver Bearman (Haas) - 1
What did Lewis Hamilton say after finishing third in the sprint?
06:58 , Kieran JacksonHamilton said: “It was a close battle and their speed on the straights was a little bit too much. I put up a good fight, but I killed my tyres.
“It is a much better car, and I have been a part of developing that. But I was in the lead at one point, so to finish third was not the greatest, but I tried and will do my best again later.”
What happened in the sprint?
06:54 , Kieran JacksonGeorge Russell overcame Lewis Hamilton’s challenge to win the battle of the Britons and take a thrilling sprint race victory at the Chinese Grand Prix.
Russell and Hamilton exchanged the lead six times inside the opening five laps in Shanghai, with the former eventually prevailing to continue his flawless start to the new season.
Hamilton had to settle for third as Russell – a winner in Australia six days ago – took the chequered flag 0.6 seconds clear of Charles Leclerlc.
Lando Norris finished fourth, one place clear of Russell’s Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli. Max Verstappen started eighth and was ninth at the end following a poor start which left him way down in 16th. Russell now leads Antonelli by 11 points in the championship standings.
Full report below:
George Russell sees off Lewis Hamilton to win Chinese Grand Prix sprint race
Qualifying in China!
06:51 , Kieran JacksonGeorge Russell put his Mercedes on pole for the sprint - can he do it again?
He’s the clear favourite!
F1 is set to cancel Bahrain and Saudi races
06:00 , Kieran JacksonFormula One is set to cancel grand prix events in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia next month amid heightened tension in the Middle East region.
Bahrain’s capital, Manama, has been attacked by Iranian missiles, while locations in Saudi Arabia have also been targeted. Just on Monday, according to the state-owned Bahrain News Agency, 32 people were injured near Manama after an Iranian drone attack.
With less than a month until F1 returns to the Sakhir circuit, 30km south of Manama, on 12 April and with the Saudi race in Jeddah a week later on 19 April, a cancellation of both events now looks likely. The Independent understands the cancellations will be officially confirmed over the next 48 hours, while the Chinese Grand Prix takes place in Shanghai this weekend.
There has also been speculation as to whether F1 could replace the races, with tracks in Italy, Turkey and Portugal suggested for a mid-April date. Yet, inevitably, the last-minute nature makes the logistics difficult and it is understood the sport will now have a five-week gap between the Japanese Grand Prix (29 March) and the Miami Grand Prix (3 May).
More detail below:
Will F1 cancel Bahrain and Saudi races? Will they be replaced? Key points explained
Jacques Villeneuve on Russell's dominance:
05:00 , Kieran Jackson“He can keep the margin, the driving is perfect, it’s nice and easy,” the 1997 world champion told Sky Sports.
“That shows a car which is well-born and designed with a lot of his input.”
Lewis Hamilton, who qualified fourth:
02:00 , Kieran Jackson“Really pleased with the session, engineers did a fantastic job to turn the car around, P1 was a tricky session, car felt great. we’re losing a lot of time on the straights, we have a lot of work to do, we have to push back in Maranello to improve in power.
“It’s something we were conscious of last year, we thought that Mercedes started earlier, they’ve done a fantastic job, we have to push to close the gap, when you’re down on power, it is what it is.
On rear-wing: “I don’t know why we went back on it, we rushed it to get it here, they did a great job. It was maybe a little bit premature; we’ll work to bring it back when it’s ready.”
Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies to Max Verstappen after sprint qualifying:
01:00 , Kieran JacksonMekies: “Sorry max, tough one, a lot to learn, the weekend is still long.
“We need to learn from today, let's try again.”
Verstappen was 1.7 seconds off pole...
How else has motorsport been impacted by Middle East chaos?
Friday 13 March 2026 23:00 , Kieran JacksonThe World Endurance Championship (WEC) event in Doha, originally set for 26-28 March, has already been postponed and rescheduled for October.
MotoGP’s Qatar round at Lusail, near Doha, on 12 April is facing significant difficulties and is unlikely to be rescheduled.
Formula Two, F1’s key support series, has its freight still in Melbourne after the season-opener. Should the Bahrain and Saudi F2 rounds be cancelled without replacement, the championship’s second race would not occur until Monaco in June.
Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli, who qualified second in sprint qualifying:
Friday 13 March 2026 22:00 , Kieran Jackson“The pace is very strong, didn't put the lap together at the end, still work to do, congrats to George, all to play for tomorrow.
“I'm feeling good in the car, putting it all together, try to have a good start and a good quali."
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff on China sprint race performance:
Friday 13 March 2026 21:00 , Kieran Jackson“We put a lot of effort into 2026 car, Ferrari and Audi as works teams who have certain advantages. You see the onboards, for us the car is on rails.”
On Russell: “The drivers are clearly involved in the simulations, they say which is good or bad, the engineering team is putting it in the best possible spot.”
On new regulations: “Everybody has a different concept, McLaren have taken different approaches with gear boxes, for example. Works teams have the nose ahead but it’s just a matter of time.
“It’s not long before McLaren will be in the fight at the front.”
What are Bahrain and Saudi hosting fees?
Friday 13 March 2026 20:00 , Kieran JacksonF1 could miss out on some of its most astronomical hosting fees. It is understood Saudi pays the joint-most of any race, alongside Qatar, at approximately £30m ($55m).
Bahrain, which hosted the first-ever race in the Middle East in 2004, pays F1 an estimated £24m ($45m) for the right to host a grand prix.
What have F1 bosses said?
Friday 13 March 2026 19:00 , Kieran JacksonVarious F1 team bosses have emphasised that safety is paramount and have placed trust in F1’s executive team to make the appropriate call.
When asked by The Independent about the situation at the season-opener in Australia, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said: “Formula 1 in a way becomes the second priority. It’s such an important topic in the region that it’s even quite difficult, I guess, to talk to the local leaders and say: ‘What about the grand prix?’
“I think this is up to Stefano [Domenicali, CEO] as a promoter and the FIA to manage that situation while respecting the current challenges that they have. My hunch is: I would very much hope we race. Is it realistic that we race there at the moment? I’m not quite sure.
“But again, I leave it to Stefano to manage that situation. I hope generally it gets better there so we are able to come back as soon as possible.”
McLaren F1 CEO Zak Brown commented: "It's the first get-together of all the teams. There's been very little communication about it (the situation) yet because of the effort that it took just to get here to Australia."
Domenicali told Sky Sports in Melbourne: "We don't want to do any statement today because things are evolving and we still have time to make the right decision. This decision will be taken together.”
Will the races be rescheduled or replaced?
Friday 13 March 2026 18:00 , Kieran JacksonRescheduling the Formula One races at their original venues later in the year presents considerable challenges. Temperatures in the Middle East region soar during the European summer and autumn, making racing impractical.
Furthermore, the existing F1 calendar offers no obvious alternative slots, as the sport is keen to preserve its August break and alleviate the demanding schedule for teams.
While alternative circuits such as Italy’s Imola, France’s Le Castellet, Portugal’s Portimao, and Turkey’s Istanbul Park have been suggested, the logistical complexities of relocating the entire F1 operation at short notice are immense.
Promoters would also have little incentive, facing a limited window to sell tickets to cover hosting fees, alongside the time-consuming organisation of marshals, security, and transport.
An option to host a second race at Japan’s Suzuka after round three has also been mooted, but this would introduce its own set of problems, not least for track owners Honda, who would likely be reluctant to draw further attention to their engine partnership issues with Aston Martin.
Although races were held behind closed doors at stand-in venues during the Covid-19 pandemic, sometimes with two events in succession, there was a pressing need then to complete a season.
A reduced 22-race calendar, while still extensive by historical standards, would nonetheless fulfil commercial obligations, albeit with a likely reduction in Formula One’s overall revenues.
NEW: F1 is set to cancel Bahrain and Saudi races
Friday 13 March 2026 16:31 , Kieran JacksonFormula One is set to cancel grand prix events in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia next month amid heightened tension in the Middle East region.
Bahrain’s capital, Manama, has been attacked by Iranian missiles, while locations in Saudi Arabia have also been targeted. Just on Monday, according to the state-owned Bahrain News Agency, 32 people were injured near Manama after an Iranian drone attack.
With less than a month until F1 returns to the Sakhir circuit, 30km south of Manama, on 12 April and with the Saudi race in Jeddah a week later on 19 April, a cancellation of both events now looks likely. The Independent understands the cancellations will be officially confirmed over the next 48 hours, while the Chinese Grand Prix takes place in Shanghai this weekend.
There has also been speculation as to whether F1 could replace the races, with tracks in Italy, Turkey and Portugal suggested for a mid-April date. Yet, inevitably, the last-minute nature makes the logistics difficult and it is understood the sport will now have a five-week gap between the Japanese Grand Prix (29 March) and the Miami Grand Prix (3 May).
More detail below:
Will F1 cancel Bahrain and Saudi races? Will they be replaced? Key points explained
Chinese GP preview: Mercedes’s early F1 dominance is ominous – but memories of 2022 provide warning to George Russell
Friday 13 March 2026 14:59 , Kieran JacksonEuphoric and smug all in one swivel of the head, Toto Wolff currently cannot help himself. Just one week into F1’s new era, four years of torturous ground-effect running seem a distant memory now for Mercedes’s long-term commander-in-chief. On Friday, after a third successive perfect competitive session to start 2026, Wolff saw the monitor in front of him, the camera lasered in and turned to face it, smiling wryly. He did the same last week in Melbourne. An early contender for F1 “memeable content” of the season? You bet.
And, really, why shouldn’t he be so merry? Lightyears from the “top four is closely packed” predictions from pre-season testing, Mercedes are currently over the hills and far away. On Friday, George Russell claimed pole position for the sprint race in China, leading home another Mercedes one-two finish with Italian teenager Kimi Antonelli behind him. For the Silver Arrows, it’s been a hat-trick of flawlessness to open up the new campaign.
Full piece below:
Mercedes’s early dominance is ominous recent history provides warning to Russell
Max Verstappen on ‘disaster’ day at Chinese GP after Red Bull F1 boss offers apology
Friday 13 March 2026 14:01 , Kieran JacksonMax Verstappen described his Friday at the Chinese Grand Prix as a “disaster” with Red Bull lacking in performance compared to frontrunners Mercedes.
Verstappen, who has voiced his dissatisfaction with this new generation of F1 car and has not ruled out quitting the sport as a result, struggled throughout practice and sprint qualifying in Shanghai.
The four-time F1 world champion could only qualify eighth on the grid for Saturday’s 19-lap dash – with his best time in SQ3 an astonishing 1.734 seconds behind pole-sitter George Russell’s pole-setting lap.
Full quotes below:
Max Verstappen on ‘disaster’ day at Chinese GP after Red Bull F1 boss offers apology
VIDEO: Hamilton analysing Mercedes' car
Friday 13 March 2026 13:00 , Kieran JacksonNothing to see here! 👀
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 13, 2026
Just Inspector Hamilton taking a peep at the Mercedes 🧐#F1Sprint #ChineseGP pic.twitter.com/WqfR9t7Sp6
Lewis Hamilton sends firm message to Ferrari HQ in Maranello: ‘We have a lot of work to do’
Friday 13 March 2026 11:58 , Kieran JacksonLewis Hamilton has sent a firm message back to Ferrari’s base in Maranello after Mercedes dominated sprint qualifying at the Chinese Grand Prix on Friday.
Hamilton, who won the sprint race from pole in Shanghai last year, qualified a respectable fourth for this year’s sprint but was 0.641 seconds short of George Russell’s pole-setting lap.
Russell led home another one-two Mercedes finish – mirroring qualifying and the race last week at the season-opener in Melbourne – and Hamilton urged Ferrari’s engineers to “improve the power” of their engine, with Mercedes a step ahead of the rest of the field in this department.
Hamilton said: “I’m really pleased with the session, the engineers did a fantastic job to turn the car around car, it felt great. But we’re losing a lot of time on the straights.”
Full quotes below:
Hamilton sends firm message to Ferrari HQ in Maranello: ‘We have a lot of work to do’
Max Verstappen on 'disaster' day:
Friday 13 March 2026 10:19 , Kieran Jackson“The whole day has been a disaster pace-wise, no grip, no balance, losing massive amounts of time in the corners, because of that you trigger other problems.
“The big problem is the cornering is completely out.”
On making changes: “We’ll have a look, I don’t know. We’ll see.”
Charles Leclerc, who qualified sixth:
Friday 13 March 2026 09:43 , Kieran Jackson“Very frustrating session, first the toggle, I lost half-a-second in the back straight for whatever reason, need to analyse that.
On wing: “It doesn’t change the picture, in the race we should be a bit stronger, however Mercedes seems to be a step ahead, for some reason their power unit finds a lot of lap time in qualifying, race we are closer.”
Lando Norris, who qualified third:
Friday 13 March 2026 09:13 , Kieran Jackson“I’m happy with the result, P3 is as good as we can get, pretty happy to beat both the Ferraris, satisfied and good position for tomorrow.
“We certainly seem to get a good amount of it at the end.
On sprint: “I don’t expect them [Mercedes] to get bad starts, it’s a good opportunity, the easiest place to overtake is off the line.”
When is the sprint race?
Friday 13 March 2026 08:35 , Kieran JacksonAll times GMT
Saturday 14 March
- Sprint race: 3am
- Qualifying: 7am
Sunday 15 March
- Race: 7am
George Russell after claiming sprint pole:
Friday 13 March 2026 08:26 , Kieran Jackson“The car has been feeling amazing, the engine is performing really well, today is a real joy to drive. It felt really quick.
“It’s been really surreal seeing so many blue caps, I’ve embraced the culture, special helmets, that’s been appreciated.
On sprint race: “Everyone we’ve been working on is getting off the line better, Melbourne was slightly dicier, we’ll see in the morning.”
RESULTS: Top-10 in sprint qualifying
Friday 13 March 2026 08:18 , Kieran Jackson1. 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. Ollie Bearman (Haas) +1.889
10. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) +2.203
George Russell on pole!
Friday 13 March 2026 08:15 , Kieran JacksonRussell went slower - but it didn’t matter! Russell takes it by two-tenths to Antonelli.
3-10: Norris, Hamilton, Piastri, Leclerc, Gasly, Verstappen, Bearman, Hadjar
Russell: “Good job.”
Mercedes. Dominant.
George Russell on provisional pole
Friday 13 March 2026 08:11 , Kieran JacksonRussell with the early advantage - and he’s four-tenths clear of Kimi Antonelli in second!
Lewis Hamilton in third, six-tenths down on Russell, with Leclerc in fourth and Verstappen in fifth.
The other five? Yet to set a lap! Think they’ll do 2 in a row...
SQ3 underway
Friday 13 March 2026 08:09 , Kieran JacksonHere we go then! Eight minutes, soft tyres, full send.
10 drivers involved: Russell, Antonelli, Leclerc, Hamilton, Verstappen, Piastri, Norris, Gasly, Bearman, Hadjar
Bearman and Lindblad out
Friday 13 March 2026 08:03 , Kieran JacksonNobody improved with their second laps!
Bottom-fix and out in SQ2 (11-16): Hulkenberg, Ocon, Lawson, Bortoleto, Lindblad, Colapinto
Top-3: Russell, Antonelli, Leclerc
Can anyone stop George Russell in SQ3?!
Ollie Bearman in trouble
Friday 13 March 2026 07:56 , Kieran JacksonBearman struggled in SQ1, sliding off track, and is currently in the bottom-six.
Current bottom-six (11-16): Ocon, Bortoleto, Lawson, Bearman, Lindblad, Colapinto
3:00 to go in SQ2...
Leclerc quickest early on
Friday 13 March 2026 07:55 , Kieran JacksonFrenetic stuff as they all try and get in two laps, with Leclerc on top - six-tenths clear of Lewis Hamilton.
Mercedes boys just setting their first laps now...
SQ2 underway
Friday 13 March 2026 07:50 , Kieran JacksonThis session is just 10 minutes long as we decide the top-10 make-up for the final phase.
Every car in SQ1 and SQ2 is on medium tyres, with SQ3 on softs.
Carlos Sainz is out in SQ1
Friday 13 March 2026 07:44 , Kieran JacksonMore problems for Williams - with both Sainz and Alex Albon out in SQ1! And Sainz is two-tenths off Colapinto in 15th.
Both Aston Martins also out.
Bottom-six and out in SQ1 (17-22): Sainz, Albon, Alonso, Stroll, Bottas, Perez
Top-3: Russell, Hamilton, Leclerc
Russell fastest early on
Friday 13 March 2026 07:39 , Kieran JacksonThe championship leader dominant early on, four-tenths clear of Antonelli.
At the bottom, it’s the Aston Martin, Williams and Cadillac who all occupy the bottom-six with four minutes left.
Current bottom-six (17-22): Albon, Colapinto, Stroll, Alonso, Bottas, Perez
No Sergio Perez in sprint qualifying
Friday 13 March 2026 07:32 , Kieran JacksonA fuel systems issue for Cadillac driver Perez means he won’t participate in the session.
Not even one person around the car - they’ve long accepted he won’t be taking part.
Not ideal.
SQ1 underway!
Friday 13 March 2026 07:31 , Kieran JacksonHere we go then with sprint qualifying!
12 minutes for this first rapid session where we’ll lose the sixth slowest!
Sprint qualifying coming up
Friday 13 March 2026 07:28 , Kieran JacksonIt’s a rapid turnaround for the drivers then as we have the first of six sprint races this season in Shanghai!
Hamilton was on pole and won the sprint race last year - what can he do this time around?
George Russell quickest in FP1
Friday 13 March 2026 07:25 , Kieran JacksonMercedes set the tone once again this morning, with Russell P1 ahead of Kimi Antonelli. Lando Norris was five-tenths off in third, followed by Oscar Piastri.
Ferrari were someway short, with Lewis Hamilton 1.2 seconds off in sixth and Charles Leclerc in fifth.
Lewis Hamilton believes he can take F1 title fight to George Russell and Mercedes
Friday 13 March 2026 07:20 , Kieran JacksonSpeaking in Shanghai ahead of this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix, the 41-year-old said: “We are going to try and catch them (Mercedes) up and I believe we can.
“It is not going to be a short thing. It is very dependent on development. They do have a big advantage. We saw that in qualifying and in the race their advantage was between four or five tenths a lap when they were in clean air and that is a huge gap.
“However, it is great to see this team fighting, pushing, chasing and working overtime to bring upgrades because that is the name of the game.”
F1 constructor standings heading into China:
Friday 13 March 2026 07:15 , Kieran Jackson1. 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
Christian Horner’s route back to F1 faces obstacle – with Toto Wolff ‘bidding for Alpine stake’
Friday 13 March 2026 07:10 , Kieran JacksonMercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff has reportedly launched a bid to buy a minority stake at Alpine – the same stake arch rival Christian Horner is interested in.
Ex-Red Bull F1 team principal Horner, who lost his job last summer after 20 years leading the outfit, is known to be making enquiries with a group of investors into purchasing Otro Capital’s 24 per cent stake in Alpine, the Renault-owned team managed by Flavio Briatore.
Alpine confirmed Horner’s interest in the stake back in January but, now, Wolff has reportedly launched his own bid at the start of the new F1 season, in which Alpine are using Mercedes power units for the first time.
Full details below:
Horner’s route back to F1 faces obstacle – with Wolff ‘bidding for Alpine stake’
VIDEO: Will F1 cancel races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia?
Friday 13 March 2026 07:00 , Kieran JacksonF1 driver standings heading into China - top-10:
Friday 13 March 2026 06:50 , Kieran JacksonGeorge Russell on top after his season-opening win in Australia:
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
George Russell takes aim at ‘selfish’ Ferrari after blocking F1 rule change
Friday 13 March 2026 06:42 , Kieran JacksonGeorge Russell has labelled Ferrari as “selfish” after the Mercedes driver claimed Lewis Hamilton's team have blocked a change to the F1 start procedure.
Russell led a dominant Mercedes one-two finish at the first race of the 2026 F1 season in Melbourne, as a new era of the sport started to a mixed verdict from drivers and fans alike.
One such issue were the race starts, an area in which Ferrari thrived in, with Charles Leclerc leapfrogging from fourth to first at turn one and Hamilton also climbing three places.
Yet some runners struggled to start smoothly, given the specifics of the turbo lag and energy management on the formation lap, and Russell believes Ferrari have refuted a potential alteration, as a result of their current supremacy at lights out.
Full story below:
George Russell takes aim at ‘selfish’ Ferrari after blocking F1 rule change
Start times for the Chinese GP this weekend:
Friday 13 March 2026 06:35 , Kieran JacksonAll times GMT
Friday 13 March
- Sprint qualifying: 7:30am
Saturday 14 March
- Sprint race: 3am
- Qualifying: 7am
Sunday 15 March
- Race: 7am
F1 Chinese Grand Prix:
Friday 13 March 2026 06:30 , Kieran JacksonFormula 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.
