George Russell Dominates Sprint Qualifying

Teams are only beginning to adapt to the new cars introduced under the 2026 regulations, and already at the second round of the season in Shanghai International Circuit they faced a sprint weekend format. Following the single practice session where George Russell set the fastest time the sprint qualifying session took place immediately afterwards, offering an early indication of the competitive order without the usual extended practice running.

Pirelli brought the middle range of tyre compounds for the event: C2, C3 and C4, corresponding to Hard, Medium and Soft. Drivers used the Medium compound during the first two segments. Russell consistently topped the timesheets, while several drivers encountered minor incidents: Gabriel Bortoleto and Oliver Bearman ran into the gravel, and Sergio Pérezdid not leave the garage due to a fuel system issue.

In the final segment all drivers switched to the Soft compound and completed only one attempt, as the tyres quickly lost performance on a second flying lap. Russell again set the benchmark with a lap of 1:31.520, securing his first career sprint qualifying victory. He will share the front row with his teammate Kimi Antonelli, while Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton will start from the second row, followed by Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc on the third row.