2026 Chinese Grand Prix
From Melbourne to Shanghai for the second race and the first Sprint weekend of the season.
The Shanghai International Circuit, whose layout resembles the shang ideogram meaning “upward,” features two main straights and sixteen corners. The first straight connects Turn 13 (slightly banked) to Turn 14, while the second—over one kilometre long—hosts the starting grid.
Some corners are very fast, such as the S section formed by Turns 7 and 8, while others are much slower, like the combinations of Turns 1–3, 6, and 14. These sequences, combined with the high-speed sections, make the track demanding on tires and pose a challenge for energy recovery with the new power units.
FRIDAY
Sprint Qualifying pole position was claimed by George Russell with a 1:31.520, less than seven-tenths slower than the 2025 sprint pole time of 1:30.849 set by Lewis Hamilton. Kimi Antonelli finished second, while current World Champion Lando Norris secured third place.
SATURDAY
Mercedes strike twice as Antonelli breaks record
George Russell won the first Sprint of the season. It was not an easy achievement for the Mercedes driver, who was locked in a fierce battle with Lewis Hamilton in the early stages. The seven-time world champion did everything he could to beat Russell, producing a brilliant fight in the opening laps, but eventually had to yield to the superior pace of his rival and was later overtaken by his teammate Charles Leclerc.
Following a superb Sprint race, the teams and drivers prepared for the qualifying session. Both Red Bull drivers, Hamilton, and Nico Hülkenberg chose to make an initial run on the medium compound, likely to assess the changes made to their respective cars. The rest of the field headed out on softs in Q1, followed immediately by the remaining drivers for their second attempts.
As always, Q2 proved to be an incredibly tense session, though several drivers were unable to improve their times in the closing stages after Gabriel Bortoleto triggered a yellow flag in the final sector.
During Q3, Russell encountered early mechanical issues that prevented him from setting a lap time on his first run. He managed to record a time during his second attempt, but it was not enough to claim pole position. That honour went to his teammate Antonelli, who in doing so became the youngest driver ever to secure a pole position.
Prior to this qualifying session, the record was held by Sebastian Vettel, who was 21 years and 72 days old when he claimed his maiden pole at the 2008 Italian Grand Prix. Antonelli broke that record by taking pole at the age of 19 years, 6 months, and 17 days. It was a magnificent achievement by the young Mercedes driver, who outpaced both Russell and Hamilton.
SUNDAY
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli won his first-ever Grand Prix. After becoming the youngest pole-sitter in Formula 1 history on Saturday, Antonelli converted pole position into victory at the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday.
The last time an Italian driver won a Formula 1 race was in 2006, when Giancarlo Fisichella triumphed at the Malaysian Grand Prix.
As in the season opener, the early stages of the Chinese Grand Prix featured a brilliant battle at the front between the Ferrari and Mercedes drivers. Antonelli, however, remained composed and used the restart after the first Safety Car period to pull away from the competition, who continued to fight among themselves.
This battle caused both Ferrari drivers and George Russell to lose significant time to Antonelli, who steadily increased his lead. Once Russell managed to clear both Ferraris, Antonelli maintained the gap to his teammate despite a small error in the closing laps, ultimately securing his first Grand Prix victory.
Antonelli and Russell were joined on the podium by Lewis Hamilton, who finished third just ahead of teammate Charles Leclerc.
With a record-breaking pole position and his first Grand Prix victory now part of Formula 1 history, Antonelli’s remarkable weekend in Shanghai will long be remembered as the moment a new star truly arrived in the sport.
Excerpts and media courtesy of Pirelli S.p.A. and the official Formula 1 team press offices. All images are provided via Getty Images through the respective team media platforms and are credited to their rightful copyright holders. Used for editorial purposes only. Not for sale.
RESULT – 2026 Chinese Grand Prix - Top Ten
Shanghai International Circuit, Shanghai
| Pos | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes |
| 2 | George Russell | Mercedes |
| 3 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari |
| 4 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari |
| 5 | Oliver Bearman | Haas F1 Team |
| 6 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine |
| 7 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls |
| 8 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull |
| 9 | Carlos Sainz | Williams |
| 10 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine |
