George Russell claimed Sprint Qualifying pole in Shanghai, with Mercedes locking out the front row as Kimi Antonelli took second. Russell dominated all three qualifying segments, setting a 1m 31.520s in SQ3 on soft tyres.
Lando Norris was the fastest non-Mercedes in third, more than six-tenths behind, with Lewis Hamilton splitting the McLarens in fourth ahead of Oscar Piastri. Charles Leclerc was sixth, a full second off the pace.
Notably, Max Verstappen could manage only eighth, while Nico Hulkenberg and Esteban Ocon start 11th and 12th. Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon failed to progress past SQ1, along with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll.
The final row sees Valtteri Bottas ahead of Sergio Perez, who could not set a time due to a fuel system issue.
2026 Chinese Grand Prix: Sprint Qualifying Results
| Position | Driver | Team | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | George Russell | Mercedes | Pole, fastest in SQ1–SQ3 |
| 2 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | Front row, cleared of impeding Norris |
| 3 | Lando Norris | McLaren | Best of the rest, +0.6s |
| 4 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | Split the McLarens |
| 5 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 5th |
| 6 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1 second off pole |
| 7 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 7th |
| 8 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 8th |
| 9 | Ollie Bearman | Haas | 9th |
| 10 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull | 10th |
| 11 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | Missed SQ3, starts 11th |
| 12 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | 12th |
| 13 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 13th |
| 14 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | 14th |
| 15 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | 15th |
| 16 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 16th |
| 17 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | Eliminated SQ1 |
| 18 | Alex Albon | Williams | Eliminated SQ1 |
| 19 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | Eliminated SQ1 |
| 20 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | Eliminated SQ1 |
| 21 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | Final row |
| 22 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | Final row, no lap due to fuel issue |
