George Russell claimed victory in the opening Sprint race of the Formula 1 season at the Shanghai International Circuit after an intense fight with Lewis Hamilton in the early laps.
Here's how the race start unfolded, with Russell initially retaining the lead! 💨👇#F1Sprint #ChineseGP pic.twitter.com/t9E4skaWVh
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 14, 2026
Starting from pole, the Mercedes driver had to battle hard with the Ferrari of Hamilton, who briefly took the lead several times during the opening exchanges. Russell ultimately broke clear once he managed to build a gap and controlled the race to the chequered flag.
A late Safety Car, triggered after Nico Hulkenberg stopped on track, briefly closed the field, but Russell held his nerve on the restart to secure the win.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished second, just 0.674 seconds behind Russell, while Hamilton completed the podium after an aggressive opening stint that left his tyres heavily worn.
Early Drama
The race began with several incidents. Hamilton surged into the lead after the start, while Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli dropped down the order after a poor getaway and contact with Isack Hadjar.
10-second time penalty for Kimi Antonelli ⚠️
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 14, 2026
This is after contact with Isack Hadjar on the first lap!#F1Sprint #ChineseGP pic.twitter.com/owp6m7RHEF
Antonelli later received a 10-second time penalty for causing the collision but fought back through the field to finish fifth.
Tyre degradation also played a major role, with Hamilton struggling midway through the race as his tyres grained heavily, allowing Leclerc to move ahead.
Safety Car Shake-Up
The race changed again on lap 13 when Hulkenberg’s stranded Audi brought out the Safety Car. Many frontrunners pitted, leading to double-stacking for both Mercedes and Ferrari.
After the restart, Russell maintained control while Hamilton used fresh tyres to overtake Lando Norris for third.
Top 10 – Chinese GP Sprint
- George Russell – Mercedes
- Charles Leclerc – Ferrari (+0.674)
- Lewis Hamilton – Ferrari (+2.554)
- Lando Norris – McLaren (+4.433)
- Kimi Antonelli – Mercedes (+5.688)
- Oscar Piastri – McLaren (+6.809)
- Liam Lawson – Racing Bulls (+10.900)
- Oliver Bearman – Haas
- Max Verstappen – Red Bull Racing
- Esteban Ocon – Haas
The result gives George Russell another victory after his win in Melbourne and continues Mercedes’ strong start to the season ahead of qualifying and Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix.
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