Leclerc and Hamilton complete the podium in a busy race in Shanghai, while Bortoleto finishes 13th
Read more F1 today? Find out how to watch the Sprint and qualifying for the 2025 Chinese GP
George Russell won the Chinese Grand Prix Sprint Race this Saturday at the Shanghai International Circuit, confirming Mercedes’ strong start to the 2026 Formula 1 season. The Briton controlled the short 19-lap race and secured another victory for the German team following the triumph in the opening round of the championship in Australia.
Charles Leclerc finished in second position with Ferrari, while Lewis Hamilton completed the podium after overtaking Lando Norris in the final laps of the Sprint.
The race began with good battles right after the start. Russell started from pole position but was pressured from the beginning by Hamilton, who made a bold overtake in the early laps to momentarily take second position.
Leclerc also quickly put himself in the mix and managed to overtake Hamilton under braking at Turn 1, moving on to pressure the Mercedes driver in the lead.
Meanwhile, the midfield saw several intense battles. Gabriel Bortoleto, who started in 14th position with Audi, managed to gain positions at the start of the race and climbed to 12th place after overtaking Franco Colapinto.
Kimi Antonelli, who started on the front row, had a complicated start and lost several positions in the opening laps. The young Mercedes driver then began an aggressive recovery through the field, but his race was hampered by an incident with Isack Hadjar. Race control considered the maneuver reckless and applied a 10-second penalty to the Italian.
Even so, Antonelli continued attacking and managed to recover positions throughout the race.
The race reached a decisive moment on lap 13, when Nico Hülkenberg stopped his car at Turn 1 and triggered the entry of the Safety Car.
The neutralization completely shuffled the pack. Most drivers took the opportunity to pit and change tires, including Russell, Leclerc, Hamilton, and several other front-runners.
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Some competitors chose to stay on track, including Oliver Bearman, Pierre Gasly, Esteban Ocon, Carlos Sainz, Gabriel Bortoleto, and Fernando Alonso, which temporarily reorganized the race order.
During the Safety Car period, Antonelli took the opportunity to serve his 10-second penalty. The Italian and Hamilton lost positions while waiting for their teammates in the pits during the stops.
The race was restarted on lap 16, with only three laps remaining. The restart brought new intense battles in the midfield.
Oscar Piastri overtook Liam Lawson and Oliver Bearman, but later received an order from McLaren to return the position to Antonelli, as he had overtaken the Mercedes driver before the finish line at the restart.
In the final laps, Hamilton performed one of the last major overtakes of the Sprint by passing Norris to take third position. Further back, Verstappen continued his recovery and managed to overtake Gasly and Ocon on the last lap, finishing in ninth position, outside the points zone.
Russell maintained the lead without major threats and crossed the finish line to win the Sprint in Shanghai. Leclerc secured second place for Ferrari, followed by Hamilton in third. Norris finished fourth, while Antonelli rounded out the top 5.
Oscar Piastri, Liam Lawson, and Oliver Bearman completed the Sprint points zone. Gabriel Bortoleto finished the race in 13th position with Audi.
Formula 1 returns this Saturday (14) at 4:00 AM, Brasília time, with qualifying, which will define the starting grid for Sunday’s Chinese GP. Follow all the information live and in real-time on F1Mania.net.
Check out the result of the Sprint Race for the Chinese GP:
1) George Russell (Mercedes)
2) Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
3) Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
4) Lando Norris (McLaren/Mercedes)
5) Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
6) Oscar Piastri (McLaren/Mercedes)
7) Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls/Red Bull Ford)
8) Oliver Bearman (Haas/Ferrari)
9) Max Verstappen (Red Bull/Red Bull Ford)
10) Esteban Ocon (Haas/Ferrari)
11) Pierre Gasly (Alpine/Mercedes)
12) Carlos Sainz (Williams/Mercedes)
13) Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi)
14) Franco Colapinto (Alpine/Mercedes)
15) Isack Hadjar (Red Bull/Red Bull Ford)
16) Alexander Albon (Williams/Mercedes)
17) Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin/Honda)
18) Lance Stroll (Aston Martin/Honda)
19) Sergio Pérez (Cadillac/Ferrari)
20) Nico Hülkenberg (Audi)
21) Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac/Ferrari)
22) Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls/Red Bull Ford)
Read more F1: Mercedes leads simulations and emerges as favorite in China
