US EditionRussell Leads Mercedes One-Two in China GP Sprint Qualifying
George Russell led Mercedes to a front-row lockout in sprint qualifying, outpacing rivals by up to 0.289 seconds, while Red Bull struggled with new power units.
- On Friday, Mercedes driver George Russell secured pole position for Saturday's sprint race at the Chinese Grand Prix, clocking 1min 31.520sec around the Shanghai International Circuit, 0.289sec ahead of teammate Kimi Antonelli.
- Carrying momentum from his season-opening win in Australia, Russell praised his vehicle's performance, saying, "We knew after Melbourne we had a really good car. The engine's performing really well."
- World champion Lando Norris qualified third, 0.621sec behind Russell, while Lewis Hamilton placed fourth in his Ferrari and Red Bull's Max Verstappen finished eighth, 1.734sec off the pace.
- Drivers prepare for Saturday's 19-lap sprint dash, which marks the first of six sprint races this season at the Shanghai circuit.
- Shanghai's layout, featuring one long straight and multiple turn complexes, demands careful energy management as the 2026 cars split power 50-50 between conventional and electrical systems; teams had only one practice session Friday to finalize setups.
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George Russell Secures Sprint Pole in Shanghai Showdown | Sports-Games
George Russell Secures Sprint Pole in Shanghai Showdown George Russell, the current leader of the Formula One championship, delivered a stellar performance by clinching pole position for the season's first sprint race in China. Mercedes showcased its prowess with a front-row lockout, as teammate Kimi Antonelli trailed closely behind.Russell's commanding presence at the Shanghai circuit was evident as he led every phase, securing his first career…
Both in the free and in the qualifying of the sprint race, the Silver Arrows are unbeatable: the English succeeds in doing better than the Bolognese while Hamilton and Leclerc battle with the two McLaren
Chinese Grand Prix 2026: Russell and Mercedes dominate qualifying sprint to continue strong start
Russell finished in pole position ahead of teammate Kimi Antonelli, while Max Verstappen, the most prominent critic of the new cars, had another tough qualifying session in eighth.
Shortly after the action-packed kick-off in Australia, Formula 1 will stop in Shanghai. Mercedes once again looks unbeatable. Max Verstappen is following again, with another ex-world champion the upward trend continues.
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