George Russell continued his 100% winning start to the Formula 1 season in 2026 with his Sprint triumph at the Chinese Grand Prix, finishing ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. Russell beat Charles Leclerc by just 0.6 seconds in the 19-lap sprint race at Shanghai International Circuit on Saturday, March 14.
Starting from pole position, Russell initially held his lead through the opening corners before Hamilton, who had started fourth on the grid, surged forward and took the lead with a dive to the inside at Turn 9. The pair engaged in a tussle for the lead, swapping positions across the early laps until Russell made the decisive move into the Turn 14 hairpin on Lap 5.
Leclerc eventually got the better of his Ferrari team mate Hamilton to claim second place. The race was affected by a late Safety Car that was called when Nico Hulkenberg's car became stranded, leading to a late pit stop for the leaders.
Mercedes' young driver Kimi Antonelli had another difficult start from the front row, making contact with Hadjar at Turn 4 and receiving a 10-second penalty for the collision. Following the Sprint, drivers returned to the track for Qualifying for Sunday's Chinese Grand Prix at 1500 local time.
