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George Russell wins a thrilling sprint race for Mercedes at the Chinese GP as Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton complete the podium in a dramatic 19-lap battle.
George Russell waves to spectators as he celebrates winning the sprint race (Picture credit: AFP)
Star British F1 driver George Russell clinched an exhilarating sprint win for Mercedes at the Chinese Grand Prix on Saturday, March 14, marking the first 100km dash of Formula One’s new era.
The race featured a late safety car and numerous lead changes.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc secured second place, while his teammate Lewis Hamilton, the previous year’s sprint winner in Shanghai, finished third, completing the podium.
A safety car on lap 13 of the 19-lap race prompted the entire field to pit for fresh tyres, with Russell maintaining his lead upon rejoining the track.
Kimi Antonelli, driving the second Mercedes, had been third but a 10-second penalty for an earlier collision saw him drop to seventh before he eventually finished fifth.
World champion Lando Norris placed fourth in his McLaren, followed by his teammate Oscar Piastri in sixth.
Liam Lawson, in his RB and Oliver Bearman, in the Haas, completed the points scorers, finishing seventh and eighth.
Hamilton’s Ferrari had a spectacular start, moving from fourth to second and exchanging the lead with Russell twice on the opening lap.
Hamilton took the lead early in the second lap as Leclerc pressured Russell.
Antonelli had a disastrous start, dropping from the front row alongside pole-sitter Russell to seventh.
A fierce battle ensued between Russell and Hamilton, with multiple lead changes in the first five laps, while Leclerc remained close in third.
Russell eventually pulled away, leaving the Ferrari duo to contest for second place.
Hamilton’s tyres suffered from early skirmishes, allowing Leclerc to overtake him late on lap nine.
Norris and Piastri settled into fourth and fifth but were distanced from the top three.
Antonelli started recovering from his poor start but was penalised 10 seconds for a lap one collision. By lap 11, he had overtaken Hamilton before the safety car and his subsequent penalty.
Four-time champion Max Verstappen had a frustrating Friday, describing it as a ‘disaster’ after coming eighth in practice and sprint qualifying. His fortunes didn’t improve with a poor start, dropping to 13th midway through the sprint and he finished ninth, out of the points.
(With AFP Inputs)
Shanghai, China
March 14, 2026, 09:50 IST
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