George Russell delivered a very impressive performance in sprint qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix, claiming his first-ever Sprint pole position with an impressive lap for Mercedes.
George set the benchmark early in SQ3 with a 1:31.520, a time that has remained unbeaten. The British driver had looked strong throughout the weekend, topping every session leading into sprint qualifying and continuing that form when it mattered most.
Behind him, his young teammate Kimi Antonelli secured second place, finishing 0.360 seconds behind Russell. Meanwhile, Lando Norris managed to edge ahead of Lewis Hamilton late in the session to grab third place for McLaren.
Who Secured the Sprint Pole?
George Russell gained the first position on pole in the SQ3 and placed pressure on the entire grid from his initial run. Although Kimi Antonelli improved his lap time on his second visit to the circuit, Russell’s earlier lap time was enough to hold the top position.
As the session came to a close, Lando Norris also showed progress in the closing moments of SQ3 by passing Lewis Hamilton and finishing in third place.
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Some incidents from sprint qualifying will also result in investigations by the stewards.
Kimi Antonelli is under investigation for potentially impeding Lando Norris, while Pierre Gasly is also under investigation for blocking Max Verstappen during qualifying.
Max Verstappen finished the sprint in eighth place for Red Bull Racing, while Pierre Gasly finished in seventh place for Alpine F1 Team.
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Any resulting penalties from these investigations may cause a reshuffling in sprint qualifying results.
Full 2026 Chinese Grand Prix Sprint Qualifying Results
| Position | Driver | Team | Time |
| 1 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:31.520 |
| 2 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:31.809 |
| 3 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:32.141 |
| 4 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:32.161 |
| 5 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:32.224 |
| 6 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:32.528 |
| 7 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:32.888 |
| 8 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1:33.254 |
| 9 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | 1:33.409 |
| 10 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull | 1:33.723 |
| 11 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | 1:33.635 |
| 12 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | 1:33.639 |
| 13 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 1:33.714 |
| 14 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | 1:33.774 |
| 15 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | 1:34.048 |
| 16 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 1:34.327 |
| 17 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 1:34.761 |
| 18 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 1:35.305 |
| 19 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:35.581 |
| 20 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:36.151 |
| 21 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | 1:37.378 |
| 22 | Sergio Pérez | Cadillac | (Not Known) |
With George Russell starting from pole and Mercedes locking out the front row, the team looks well placed heading into the sprint race in Shanghai.
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