George Russell delivered a dominant performance in Sprint Qualifying at the Chinese Grand Prix, putting his Mercedes on pole for Saturday’s Sprint race at the Shanghai International Circuit.
Russell topped every segment of the session and sealed pole with a 1:31.520 lap, leading a Mercedes front-row lockout alongside rookie teammate Kimi Antonelli, who finished just under three tenths behind.
Behind the silver cars, Lando Norris secured third for McLaren after a competitive SQ3 run, with Lewis Hamilton placing his Ferrari fourth.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri qualified fifth ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, while Alpine’s Pierre Gasly impressed with seventh. It was a frustrating session for Max Verstappen, who could manage only eighth for Red Bull.
Haas rookie Oliver Bearman continued his strong start to the season with ninth, while Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar rounded out the top ten.
With just one practice session available before Sprint Qualifying, teams had minimal time to dial in their setups around the Shanghai circuit. Mercedes clearly adapted fastest and will head into the Sprint as favourites.
Chinese Grand Prix – Sprint Qualifying Results
| Pos | Driver | Team | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:31.520 |
| 2 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +0.289 |
| 3 | Lando Norris | McLaren | +0.621 |
| 4 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +0.641 |
| 5 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +0.704 |
| 6 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +1.008 |
| 7 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +1.368 |
| 8 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | +1.734 |
| 9 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | +1.889 |
| 10 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull | +2.203 |
What It Means for the Sprint
Mercedes’ pace in Shanghai suggests they are the team to beat heading into the Sprint race. Russell’s advantage over the rest of the field was clear throughout the session, and a clean start could see him control the race from the front.
However, McLaren and Ferrari are close enough to apply pressure if strategy or tyre management comes into play. Norris in particular looked quick in SQ3 and could challenge if he gets a strong launch.
Further back, Verstappen faces work to do from eighth on the grid, meaning the Sprint could produce some aggressive overtakes early on.
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