F1 | 2026 Chinese GP Sprint Race: George Russell wins, Ferraris follow
Britain's George Russell dominated as leader in the Chinese GP Sprint Race, showcasing the clear superiority of the W17. Finishing behind him were the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, a strong result for the Maranello duo who prove to be competitive in race conditions.
The Chinese GP Sprint Race delivered action from the very first meters and several duels in the top positions. In the end, it was George Russell who imposed himself with authority, managing the pace in the final laps and always maintaining the necessary margin to defend against attacks from Charles Leclerc. Behind them, Lewis Hamilton finished in third, while Andrea Kimi Antonelli staged a great comeback to fifth position.
Indice dei Contenuti
F1 2026 Chinese GP Sprint Race
1) George Russell (Mercedes) – 19 laps
2) Charles Leclerc (Scuderia Ferrari) +0.674
3) Lewis Hamilton (Scuderia Ferrari) +2.554
F1 2026 Chinese GP Sprint Race, “Sprint Race” standings and complete results
| DRIVER | TEAM | TIME | POINTS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | George Russell | Mercedes | LEADER | 8 |
| 2 | Charles Leclerc | Scuderia Ferrari | +0.674 | 7 |
| 3 | Lewis Hamilton | Scuderia Ferrari | +2.554 | 6 |
| 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren | +4.433 | 5 |
| 5 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +5.688 | 4 |
| 6 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +6.809 | 3 |
| 7 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | +10.900 | 2 |
| 8 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | +11.271 | 1 |
| 9 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | +11.619 | 0 |
| 10 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | +13.887 | 0 |
| 11 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +14.780 | 0 |
| 12 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | +15.753 | 0 |
| 13 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | +15.858 | 0 |
| 14 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | +16.393 | 0 |
| 15 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull | +16.430 | 0 |
| 16 | Alexander Albon | Williams | +20.014 | 0 |
| 17 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | +21.599 | 0 |
| 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | +21.971 | 0 |
| 19 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | +28.241 | 0 |
| 20 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | NO TIME | 0 |
| 21 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | NO TIME | 0 |
| 22 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | NO TIME | 0 |
F1 2026 Chinese GP, results of the Sprint Race won by Russell
When the lights went out, Russell started well, maintaining the lead, while Antonelli had a difficult getaway from the grid and slipped to the back. Behind the Mercedes, a duel immediately ignited with Hamilton, who in the first laps even managed to momentarily take the lead with a decisive overtake.
The fight between the two continued for several laps, with Russell using the Overtake Mode energy to attack again on the long Shanghai straight. After several attempts, the Mercedes driver managed to complete the decisive overtake on Hamilton, definitively taking the lead of the Sprint.
Once in the lead, Russell began to pull away, also setting the fastest lap and creating a safety margin over his pursuers.
Behind the leader, the race was livened up by the battle between the Ferraris. Hamilton and Leclerc challenged each other for a long time for second position, with the Monegasque trying several times to find an opening on the main straight.
Meanwhile, Antonelli began an aggressive comeback after the difficult start. The Italian driver first overtook Oscar Piastri and then Lando Norris, moving into the top positions. During the race, however, he received a 10-second penalty for contact with Isack Hadjar at the start.
Despite the penalty, Antonelli continued to push, even managing to overtake Hamilton on track before the final phase of the race.
Complicating the final laps was the retirement of Nico Hülkenberg, who stopped on track with his Audi. The incident triggered the Safety Car, which bunched up the field with just a few laps remaining until the checkered flag.
The top six drivers took advantage of the neutralization to fit soft tires, while Antonelli served his penalty during the pit stop.
At the restart, another brief battle for the podium ignited: Hamilton managed to overtake Norris to retake third position, while Russell immediately re-established his margin over the pursuers.
In the final laps, Russell controlled the situation without taking risks, also setting the fastest lap of 1’35”506. The Briton started the final lap with over a second’s lead over Leclerc and crossed the finish line alone.
The Chinese GP Sprint Race thus concluded with Russell’s victory ahead of Leclerc and Hamilton, while Norris finished fourth. A great comeback for Antonelli, who recovered to fifth position after a very eventful race.
