George Russell led the only free practice for the Chinese GP in Shanghai, which opens the first Formula 1 Sprint weekend. The Mercedes driver was the fastest of the session, followed by teammate Kimi Antonelli in second and McLaren’s Lando Norris in third.
Read more 2026 Chinese GP: F1 Sprint Qualifying live in Shanghai
Gabriel Bortoleto finished in 12th position with Audi. The Brazilian improved his time in the final minutes and surpassed some midfield rivals, despite part of the session being dedicated to aerodynamic tests with flow-vis on the car. The practice also marked technical evaluations by the teams before the Sprint qualifying early this morning.
Read more F1: Russell leads only free practice for the Chinese GP
Check out the full FP results for the Chinese GP:
1) George Russell (Mercedes), 1’32.741 – 28 laps
2) Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), 1’32.861 – 29
3) Lando Norris (McLaren/Mercedes), 1’33.296 – 28
4) Oscar Piastri (McLaren/Mercedes), 1’33.472 – 27
5) Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), 1’33.599 – 27
6) Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari), 1’34.129 – 25
7) Oliver Bearman (Haas/Ferrari), 1’34.426 – 27
8) Max Verstappen (Red Bull/Red Bull Ford), 1’34.541 – 24
9) Nico Hülkenberg (Audi), 1’34.639 – 26
10) Pierre Gasly (Alpine/Mercedes), 1’34.676 – 27
11) Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls/Red Bull Ford), 1’34.773 – 28
12) G.Bortoleto (Audi), 1’34.828 – 25
13) Isack Hadjar (Red Bull/Red Bull Ford), 1’34.856 – 25
14) Esteban Ocon (Haas/Ferrari), 1’34.877 – 24
15) Franco Colapinto (Alpine/Mercedes), 1’34.947 – 25
16) Alexander Albon (Williams/Mercedes), 1’35.480 – 30
17) Carlos Sainz (Williams/Mercedes), 1’35.679 – 17
18) Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin/Honda), 1’35.856 – 18
19) Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac/Ferrari), 1’36.057 – 24
20) Lance Stroll (Aston Martin/Honda), 1’37.224 – 20
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