Formula 1 Starting Grid 2026 Chinese Sprint Race
Event: Chinese Grand Prix
Track: Shanghai International Circuit
Warm-up lap starts at: 11:00 Local | 04:00 CET | 03:00 UK | 20:00 LA | 12:00 Tokyo
George Russell will start the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix Sprint from pole position after a commanding display in Sprint Qualifying at the Shanghai International Circuit. The Mercedes driver led a front-row lockout for the Silver Arrows, with rookie team-mate Kimi Antonelli joining him on the front row after another hugely impressive lap.
Lando Norris lines up third for McLaren, with Lewis Hamilton fourth for Ferrari, while Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc complete a strong top six. Further back, Pierre Gasly and Ollie Bearman both delivered eye-catching performances to out-qualify Max Verstappen, as Red Bull endured another surprisingly difficult session in Shanghai.
There could yet be a sting in the tail before the Sprint begins, with Antonelli facing a post-session investigation for impeding, but as it stands Mercedes hold the early advantage. The big question now is whether Russell and Antonelli can convert that front-row lockout into control at the start, especially with Ferrari traditionally strong off the line and no pit stops to shake things up over the short-format race.
F1 Starting Grid 2026 Chinese Sprint
| Pos | No | Driver | Team | Lap Time | Pole gap |
| 1 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:31,520 | |
| 2 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:31,809 | +0,289s |
| 3 | 1 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:32,141 | +0,621s |
| 4 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:32,161 | +0,641s |
| 5 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:32,224 | +0,704s |
| 6 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:32,528 | +1,008s |
| 7 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:32,888 | +1,368s |
| 8 | 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1:33,254 | +1,734s |
| 9 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | 1:33,409 | +1,889s |
| 10 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull | 1:33,723 | - |
| 11 | 27 | Nico Hülkenberg | Audi | 1:33,635 | +2,115s |
| 12 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | 1:33,639 | +2,119s |
| 13 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 1:33,714 | +2,194s |
| 14 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | 1:33,774 | +2,254s |
| 15 | 41 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | 1:34,048 | +2,528s |
| 16 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 1:34,592 | +3,072s |
| 17 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 1:34,761 | +3,241s |
| 18 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:35,581 | +4,061s |
| 19 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:36,151 | +4,631s |
| 20 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | 1:37,378 | +5,858s |
| 21 | 11 | Sergio Pérez | Cadillac | no time | - |
| PL | 23 | Alex Albon | Williams | 1:35,305 | +3,785s |
Notes & Penalties:
- Sergio Perez, Cadillac #11 - Permitted to start
- Alex Albon, Williams #23 - Required to start from the pit lane, due to car modified under Parc Fermé conditions
The pole position lap time of last year's (2025) Sprint qualifying was a 1:30.849 min, driven by Lewis Hamilton with the Ferrari SF-25.
✅ Check out our 2026 Chinese F1 GP preview
