Chinese GP Sprint: George Russell wins for Mercedes after thrilling battle with Lewis Hamilton in Shanghai | F1 news

Mercedes’ George Russell beat Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton to victory in a thrilling Chinese Grand Prix sprint.

Russell started on pole after he and team-mate Kimi Antonelli locked out the front row, but Ferrari once again made superb starts as Hamilton moved forward from fourth on the grid before taking the lead later in the first lap.

Hamilton engaged in a thrilling battle with Russell as the lead changed hands several times in the opening laps, but was eventually passed for good by the Mercedes and then also by his teammate Leclerc.

Russell opened up a lead of almost five seconds but was then forced to defend once more when a late Safety Car set up a thrilling three-lap run to the finish after the leaders all stopped for fresh tyres.

Russell said: “It was quite fun in the end! A lot of strategy involved and how you do overtakes is not easy.

“I hope it was a fun race to watch. Usually the Sprint is pretty boring. I had everything under control, then there was a Safety Car.. so pretty happy with the win.”

After winning last weekend’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix, Russell extends his lead at the top of the drivers’ championship to 10 points over Antonelli after the Italian could only manage fifth.

As was the case when he was also second on the grid in Melbourne, Antonelli had a terrible start and then compounded his problems by colliding with Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar later on the first lap, earning himself a 10-second time penalty.

Antonelli showed Mercedes’ impressive pace as he fought his way back to second on the grid, but then fell back again as he served his time penalty when he stopped under the Safety Car.

He finished between the McLarens, with reigning world champion Lando Norris fourth after he was unable to hold off Hamilton after gaining a place during the pit stops as Ferrari were forced to double-stack their cars.

Oscar Piastri was sixth, with Liam Lawson claiming two points for the Racing Bulls in seventh and Oliver Bearman getting the final point for Haas.

Max Verstappen endured another painful experience in his Red Bull as he dropped several places at the start before fighting back to finish one place outside the points in ninth.

Nico Hulkenberg having to stop his Audi on track was what triggered the Safety Car, while Racing Bulls’ British rookie Arvid Lindblad and Cadillac’s Valtteri Bottas were also forced to retire with technical problems.

The action continues later on Saturday, live on Sky Sports F1 at 7, with full qualification for Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix.

F1’s new cars deliver on Sprint debut

There had been discussion ahead of the first sprint weekend of the season about the merits of holding it so early in the year following the introduction of radically different rules for 2026, but it ultimately proved to be one of the most entertaining races the format has produced since its introduction in 2021.

The drama was once again heightened by the challenge the drivers face in preparing their new power units for the starting procedure, with Ferrari’s early season advantage in that department on full display once again.

Hamilton zipped around the slow-moving Antonelli and then passed Norris through the open corners before shocking Russell with an audacious move around the outside of Turn 8.

The former teammates then engaged in a thrilling contest with several position exchanges until Russell finally made a pass on lap five.

Russell said: “Lewis did a great job in the early laps, he caught me by surprise. He’s got 20 years of experience so I’ve still got a bit to learn there!”

Having used significant amounts of tire life in the battle against Russell, Hamilton was then passed by Leclerc, but only after another almighty tussle that left the Monegasque bemoaning his team-mate’s tactics.

As Russell pulled clear, Antonelli surged back through the field and overtook both the McLarens and then the Ferraris, with his move on Leclerc ending just before the Safety Car was deployed to allow Hulkenberg’s Audi to recover.

Such was the high level of tire wear experienced by the leaders and the large gap that had opened up behind the top six, Mercedes did not hesitate to bring both drivers for new tyres, with Ferrari and McLaren following suit.

The first rolling restart of the season represented a significant challenge for Russell, but Leclerc behind him suffered wheelspin, giving the Mercedes some much-needed breathing space.

Despite losing initial ground, Leclerc was still able to apply pressure right up until the checkered flag, which he took less than a second clear of the Ferrari.

Hamilton had lost a place to Norris while double-stacked behind Leclerc during the pit stops, but slipped past McLaren to claim a well-deserved third.

“I really enjoyed it, especially at the beginning and less at the end,” Hamilton said. “Nice to see Ferrari in the top three and to be a part of that. It’s the first time I’ve been in that fight this year with George.

“Unfortunately, my left front tire gave out quite early. But it was a good experience. Not too much ground lost, so we’ll see what changes we can make now to make it better for tomorrow.”

Sky Sports F1’s Chinese GP programme

Saturday 14 March
05.30: F1 Academy Race 1*
06.30: Chinese GP qualifying build-up*
07.00: CHINESE GP QUALIFYING*
9:00am: Ted’s qualification notebook*

Sunday 15 March
02.35: F1 Academy Race 2*
5.30: Chinese GP build-up: Grand Prix Sunday*
07.00: THE CHINESE GRAND PRIX*
9:00: Chinese medical reaction: Checkered flag*
10:00: Ted’s Notebook*

*Also on Sky Sports Main Event

Formula 1 is in Shanghai for the first Sprint weekend of the 2026 season at the Chinese Grand Prix, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime