The first sprint of the 2026 season will take place on the Shanghai circuit, with Mercedes in an ideal position after a qualifying session dominated by George Russell.
Read more Max Verstappen cries «disaster» after a catastrophic sprint qualifying in Shanghai
The first sprint race of the 2026 Formula 1 season promises to be particularly interesting on the Shanghai circuit. Following the Sprint Qualifying held on Friday, it is George Russell who will start from pole position.
The Mercedes driver completed a particularly solid lap during the final phase of qualifying, ahead of his teammate Kimi Antonelli by just over three-tenths of a second. This result allows the German team to lock out the first row on the sprint starting grid.
Current F1 championship leader, Russell thus confirms the very good form of Mercedes at the start of this Chinese weekend. On a demanding track like Shanghai, the performance of the Silver Arrows made an impression and puts the team in an ideal position to go for the first points of the sprint.
Norris and Hamilton lying in wait
Behind the Mercedes duo, Lando Norris will start from third position. The McLaren driver appears to be Mercedes’ first potential rival for this short race. The reigning world champion managed to place his car just behind the two Mercedes, confirming the competitive level of McLaren on this circuit.
The second row will be completed by Lewis Hamilton. The Ferrari driver had a solid qualifying session, finishing fourth, ahead of his teammate Charles Leclerc. Ferrari therefore seems capable of joining the fight for the sprint podium, even if the gap observed in qualifying with Mercedes remains significant.
The sprint qualifying session, on the other hand, was much more complicated for Red Bull Racing. The Austrian team had a particularly difficult session on the Shanghai circuit.
Read more Lewis Hamilton surprised by Ferrari’s decision to abandon its «Macarena» wing
Max Verstappen could do no better than eighth position after a session marked by several driving difficulties and a lack of overall performance. The four-time world champion will therefore start from the fourth row. The situation is even more delicate for his teammate Isack Hadjar, only tenth on the starting grid.
For Red Bull, this sprint therefore looks like a comeback mission, in the hope of limiting the damage against rivals who currently seem to have a clear advantage over one lap.
A highly anticipated first sprint race
This Shanghai event marks the first sprint of the 2026 F1 season, a format now well established in the F1 calendar. This shorter race allows drivers and teams to compete for additional points before the main Grand Prix.
With a particularly tight grid and several teams capable of fighting at the front, the sprint race promises to offer an intense spectacle.
Mercedes will start with a strategic advantage thanks to its fully locked-out front row, but McLaren and Ferrari hope to take advantage of the slightest opportunity to disrupt the dominance of Russell and Antonelli.
On a Shanghai circuit renowned for its long straights and overtaking zones, everything remains open for this first confrontation of the weekend.
Read more Kimi Antonelli learns his fate from the stewards after the incident with Norris