Check out the full 2026 F1 Chinese Grand Prix Sprint Qualifying Results, Shanghai International Circuit, round 2 of 24.
George Russell claimed pole position for Saturday’s Formula 1 Sprint race ahead of teammate Kimi Antonelli as Mercedes locked out the front row.
Russell set a flyer of 1m31.520s beating teammate Antonelli by 0.289s as the latter avoided a penalty for an earlier incident with Lando Norris, who snatched third place for McLaren.
Lewis Hamilton salvaged a solid fourth for Ferrari despite setup compromises for the Sprint’s shorter format, while teammate Charles Leclerc languished in sixth, over 1.2 seconds off pole, after his lap was marred by a lock-up at Turn 6.
Oscar Piastri slotted the second McLaren into fifth followed by Pierre Gasly in seventh for Alpine.
Red Bull duo Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar endured a torrid sprint qualifying as the team grappled with setup issues, culminating in P8 and P10, sandwiching Haas’ Oliver Bearman in ninth.
F1 Chinese GP Sprint Qualifying: As it happened
2026 F1 Chinese Grand Prix Sprint Qualifying Results
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time/Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1m31.520s |
| 2 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +0.289s |
| 3 | Lando Norris | McLaren | +0.621s |
| 4 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +0.641s |
| 5 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +0.704s |
| 6 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +1.008s |
| 7 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +1.368s |
| 8 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | +1.734s |
| 9 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | +1.889s |
| 10 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull | +2.023s |
| 11 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | 1m33.635s |
| 12 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | 1m33.639s |
| 13 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 1m33.714s |
| 14 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | 1m33.774s |
| 15 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | 1m34.048s |
| 16 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 1m34.327s |
| 17 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 1m34.761s |
| 18 | Alex Albon | Williams | 1m35.305s |
| 19 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1m35.581s |
| 20 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1m36.151s |
| 21 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | 1m37.378s |
| 22 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | No time set |
READ MORE:
Full 2026 F1 Chinese Grand Prix FP1 Results
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