@GeorgeRussell63 captures #ChineseGP Sprint victory after thrilling six-lap battle with @LewisHamilton. #F1
George Russell, #63, Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team celebrates in Parc Ferme after taking victory in the F1 Sprint, Formula 1 Heineken Chinese Grand Prix 2026, Shanghai International Circuit, Shanghai, China. Image credit to Mark Thompson/Getty Images. Russell Chinese Sprint Victory.
Russell Chinese Sprint Victory – Mercedes’ George Russell took victory in the 100km Chinese GP Sprint after an intense six-lap battle for the lead with former team-mate Sir Lewis Hamilton who made a brilliant launch off the line. Charles Leclerc was the lead Ferrari in second as Hamilton rounded out the top three.
After clinching the season-opening Australian GP victory and the Sprint, Russell already leads the World Driver’s Championship by 11 points.
The Briton is on 33 points, with Leclerc and Antonelli tied on 22 points.
When the 19-lap 100km F1 Chinese GP Sprint began, pole-sitter Russell managed to cover team-mate Antonelli who dropped back down to seventh into the corner as Hamilton got a great start into the opening corner and made his way past Norris to move up into second.
Behind them Antonelli made contact with Hadjar’s Red Bull at some point in the first few corners, Lindblad has been spun round by some contact too.
Leclerc also made his way up into third whilst Hamilton overtook Russell into turn nine.
Russell then re-past Hamilton for the lead into turn 14.
On the beginning of the second lap, Hamilton with Straight and Overtake mode passed Russell once more to re-take the lead over the Mercedes.
Hamilton on the third lap was 0.5 seconds clear of Russell and Leclerc was right behind the Mercedes in third, Norris fourth, Piastri fifth, Antonelli sixth, Bearman seventh and Hadjar completed the top eight runners.
The incident involving Antonelli and Hadjar was under investigation by the stewards.
The fourth lap – Russell once again used ‘Overtake’ to blast past on the straight but into Turn 1, once again Hamilton re-took the lead. Russell could not blast past and get far enough ahead to not be vulnerable into that opening turn.
Leclerc was just 0.6 seconds behind Russell, as Antonelli crawled all over the back of Piastri’s McLaren for fifth.
Hamilton on the fifth lap, was once again under pressure by Russell, the former managed to keep that charging Silver Arrow behind.
Russell later on in the lap with more energy and battery power made a dive up the inside of Hamilton into the turn 14 right hand hairpin to move back into the lead.
Russell managed to keep his former team-mate behind on the rundown into turn one to hold his place out-front.
Leclerc had a cheeky look at Hamilton, which Ferrari were watching through very nervously.
On lap seven, Russell’s lead was at 1.7 seconds over Hamilton with Leclerc right behind his Ferrari team-mate in third, reigning world champion Norris fourth, Antonelli up into fifth, Piastri sixth, Bearman seventh whilst Hadjar rounded out the top eight.
Replays from the start showed that Antonelli locked up halfway through the lap and hit the side of Hadjar’s RB22 racer and the stewards have given the Italian a 10-second-time penalty for causing the collision.
On the eighth lap, – “I think Lewis is struggling,” was the message from Leclerc, and he made a move on his team-mate into turn one. And he grabbed the position. Hamilton paid the price for those early laps with Russell, with tyres that look pretty degraded at this stage of proceedings. His front-left had a tell-tale line degradation.
The ninth tour – Bearman was seventh – allowing the front six to escape further up, which would help Antonelli.
Meanwhile, Hamilton had a look at Leclerc, but he tried the switchback and Leclerc slammed the door shut on his team-mate.
This was vintage Hamilton, but Leclerc was giving no quarter.
Lap 10 – Hamilton had an ultra-quick Antonelli on the rear of his SF-26 rear. The Briton needed to defend hard, but Leclerc had been on the radio complaining about his team-mate.
“Doesn’t he know how wide these cars are,” Leclerc said. But he was now 1.4 second in-front, thanks to Hamilton having to look in his mirrors rather than attack his team-mate ahead.
The 11th lap – The Mercedes had some serious pace. Russell had checked out in the lead, but Antonelli was in the thick of the action. He was just 0.4 seconds behind Hamilton, and the Italian teenager was looking for half-a-gap.
Further back, Lawson had picked off Bearman for seventh place.
The hards were starting to come into their own.
Antonelli with Straight Mode on the back straight on the rundown into turn 14, dived up the inside of Hamilton to move up into third place.
Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindblad was told to retire the car with issue hampering the rookie.
On lap 13, Cadillac’s Valtteri Bottas was seen travelling slowly and ordered to retire the car.
Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg was also seen parked up at the end of the main-straight bringing out the safety car.
Just before that moment Antonelli picked off Leclerc for second place.
On the 14th lap – Everyone pitted – Sprint leader Russell was in, so was Antonelli, Leclerc, Hamilton, Norris and Piastri, they all had a gap to Lawson.
Mercedes and Ferrari had to double stack, which costed Hamilton who lost out to Norris whilst Antonelli also done so and dropped back to seventh after serving his 10-second-timed-penalty.
Lap 15 – Hulkenberg had jumped clear of his R26 entry, as the marshals began to start trying to clear the stricken Audi.
If the race does go back to green, Bearman could be in trouble in sixth with a fresher and very fast Antonelli behind. Piastri should also be quick, whilst Gasly in ninth might not be too much of a threat given the Frenchman did not pit.
Gasly was also under investigation for an unsafe release pre-race, and that is currently being investigated after the chequered flag. The team released him with a cover still on the A526.
The 16th tour – Ocon in tenth was unhappy with what was going on behind – Sainz coming down the main-straight was weaving to keep temperature in his tyres aboard his Williams and nearly hit the back of the VF-26.
“This guy is going to crash into the back of me, under double yellows,” fumed the Frenchman.
When the safety car came in on lap 17 and the race continued for the final three laps, second-placed Leclerc lost grip out the final corner allowing Russell to have a clean getaway from Ferrari.
Norris had Hamilton for company and Lawson was keeping those two looking in their mirrors.
Antonelli lost out to Piastri at the restart of the Sprint.
On the penultimate tour in the battle for third, Hamilton made his way ahead of Norris into turn one, as Piastri got ahead of Bearman who remained out on the mediums and did not pit under the safety car and Antonelli followed Piastri through.
And Piastri got Lawson as well to take sixth place.
Piastri was ordered to give a place back – to Antonelli.
Antonelli did go past, so he was fifth, Piastri was sixth. Lawson and Bearman were holding on to the final points positions as Ocon got Gasly for ninth – and Verstappen followed him through.
Russell crossed the line by 0.674 seconds clear of Leclerc to capture the Sprint victory as Hamilton completed the top three.
The two McLaren’s of Norris and Piastri were fourth and sixth respectively as Antonelli split the MCL40 entries in fifth.
Lawson came home seventh as Bearman rounded out the points scorers.
Replays showed further back, Sergio Perez’s MAC-01 entry lost some of the bargeboard. A difficult Sprint for the Mexican, who also picked up a time penalty for a Safety Car infringement.
You can see the full Formula 1 Heineken Chinese Grand Prix 2026 F1 Sprint Results Classification at the link: FORMULA 1 HEINEKEN CHINESE GRAND PRIX 2026 – SPRINT
2026 Chinese GP F1 Sprint – The Top Three
2026 Chinese GP F1 Sprint Winner – George Russell, #63, Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team, F1 W17 – (8 Points):
“It was pretty fun in the end! Really happy to get the win. It is really windy at the moment, and this first corner is so long. It only takes one lap of battling, and you can destroy your front tyre. Lewis battled hard, 20 years of experience…”
2nd Place – Charles Leclerc, #16, Scuderia Ferrari HP, SF-26 – +0.674s – (7 Points):
“It is good to see out race pace is more similar to Mercedes than our Qualifying pace. Pretty happy. I nearly lost it [at the restart] but luckily, I didn’t!”
3rd Place – Sir Lewis Hamilton, #44, Scuderia Ferrari HP, SF-26, +2.554s – (6 Points):
“A big thank you for the team, for us to be able to be in this position to fight with Mercedes. Their speed on the straights is a little too much. I put up a good fight, but I killed my front left. It is just a much better car, and I have been a part of developing it so just much happier. I was in the lead at one point so to finish third is not great, so I will try harder tomorrow.”
