@GeorgeRussell63 Takes #ChineseGP Sprint Pole as @MercedesAMGF1 Lock Out Front Row. #F1
George Russell celebrates in Parc Ferme after taking Sprint pole at the 2026 Formula 1 Heineken Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit, Shanghai, China. Image credit to: Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images. Russell Chinese GP Pole, 2026 Chinese GP Sprint Qualifying.
Russell Chinese Sprint Pole – George Russell continued his stunning form claiming pole position for tomorrow’s 100km Chinese GP F1 Sprint ahead of team-mate Andrea Kimi Antonelli to make it a Mercedes front-row as reigning world champion Lando Norris completed the top three for McLaren.
The Australian GP winner Russell ended up 0.289 seconds clear of team-mate Antonelli and over six tenths ahead of Norris.
However, Antonelli is currently under investigation by the stewards for impeding third-placed Norris in SQ2.
In SQ3, the initial fling laps saw Antonelli the first to register the benchmark of a 1:31.880, which was beaten by team-mate Russell’s 1:31.520 to take provisional pole with two purple sectors and was 0.360 clear.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen ended up third temporarily as Leclerc took the place off the Dutchman with his 1:32.732 effort, which was ousted by team-mate Hamilton’s 1:32.161 to take P3 off his Ferrari team-mate.
The final hot-laps saw Antonelli improve only narrowly with his 1:31.809 to be 0.289 seconds off team-mate Russell who did not improve but did not have to as the Briton clinched the Sprint pole.
Leclerc on his next flyer despite two personal bests could not make any gains and remained in fourth with his 1:32.528.
Alpine’s Pierre Gasly jumped Verstappen to take sixth as reigning world champion Norris made it up to third to be 0.621 adrift of Russell.
The other MCL40 entry of Oscar Piastri despite a purple sector one, split the Ferrari duo in fifth with his 1:32.224 effort and relegated Leclerc down to sixth.
Gasly ended up in seventh from those late improvements and ahead of Verstappen who was down in eighth.
Haas’s Oliver Bearman and the other Red Bull Ford-RBPT entry of Isack Hadjar rounded out the top ten.
In SQ2, which was topped by Russell, a late improvement saw from Haas’s Oliver Bearman sent Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg out of the middle segment with the German not making SQ3 by a slim 0.015 seconds and will start tomorrow’s F1 Sprint in 11th.
The other Haas VF-26 entry of Esteban Ocon could only reach 12th and in-front of RB’s Liam Lawson who qualified 13th and the second Audi R26 entry of Gabriel Bortoleto who took 14th.
Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindblad and Alpine’s Franco Colapinto were the slowest of the SQ2 eliminatees in 15th and 16th respectively.
In SQ1, which was topped by Russell, a late improvement from Colapinto sent Williams’ Carlos Sainz in the drop zone and the latter could not improve on his final flyer meaning the Spaniard will start the Sprint 17th.
The other Williams FW48 entry of Alexander Albon was next in 18th and in-front of Aston Martin duo Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll who were 19th and 20th respectively whilst Valtteri Bottas brought up the rear for Cadillac.
The Finn’s Cadillac team-mate Sergio Perez was unable to take part in the session due to a fuel systems issue and will start the 100km Chinese GP F1 Sprint at the rear.
Two impediments are currently under investigation by the stewards, the first involving Antonelli impeding Norris and Gasly impeding Verstappen.
You can see the full Formula 1 Heineken Chinese Grand Prix 2026 Sprint Qualifying Results Classification at the link: FORMULA 1 HEINEKEN CHINESE GRAND PRIX 2026 – SPRINT QUALIFYING
2026 Chinese GP Sprint Pole Position – George Russell, #63, Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team, F1 W17 – 1:31.520:
“The car has been feeling amazing. We knew after Melbourne we had a really good car, the engine is performing really well and the car was a joy to drive. Since Melbourne we have been working on how to get off the line quicker, so I guess we’ll find out tomorrow.”
