Formula One

Russell reflects on how Ferrari's start advantage cost him a chance at victory at the Chinese Grand Prix.

Oliver Bearman avoids a Lap 1 crash with Isack Hadjar, recovers from the chaos, and storms through the field to finish fifth at the Chinese Grand Prix.

Kimi Antonelli secures his first F1 victory at the Chinese Grand Prix, ending Italy’s 20-year wait for a win and delivering a breakthrough moment for Mercedes.

The MCL38s remained silent in Shanghai as Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri faced pre-race mechanical failures, ending their F1 weekend before it began.

Kimi Antonelli became the second youngest F1 Grand Prix winner, converting a historic pole to his maiden win from George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time world champion securing a long-awaited first podium with Ferrari in China.

After an exciting sprint and historic qualifying session, the stage is now set for the main event. From Kimi Antonelli chasing a maiden F1 victory up against George Russell, to the Ferrari pair ready to bring more thrills on track, here are five things to look out for at the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix.

Formula One has announced the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian rounds have been cancelled due to safety risks amid rising escalation of the Middle East conflict. It has also been confirmed that replacement Grands Prix will not be organised, shortening the 2026 calendar to 22 rounds.

Kimi Antonelli became F1’s youngest polesitter in China, shattering records and surpassing the likes of Sebastian Vettel, Charles Leclerc, Fernando Alonso and Max Verstappen in the sport’s history book.

Kimi Antonelli secures a historic first pole in Shanghai with a 1:32.064, beating Vettel’s record and leading a Mercedes 1-2 ahead of teammate George Russell.

Bortoleto’s "good lap" ended in a P16 grid slot after a final corner snap, while teammate Hülkenberg secured P11 for Audi’s Shanghai Grand Prix charge.

Kimi Antonelli took hist first Grand Prix pole in China, and will be eyeing his first win tomorrow.

Hamilton and Leclerc find "fun" in Shanghai as Ferrari’s race trim challenges Mercedes, with the team securing P2-P3 despite a late-race Safety Car.

Max Verstappen slams a "disaster" China Sprint after power issues and poor balance left his RB22 struggling with high tire degradation and no pace.

In the first sprint race of 2026, Russell raced to victory ahead of the Ferrari pair of Leclerc and Hamilton in action packed 19 laps.

George Russell took a dominant sprint pole for the season's first sprint round in China, followed by teammate Kimi Antonelli on the front row and Lando Norris to complete the top three.

It’s the first sprint weekend of 2026, which means there was just one singular practice session for the drivers to get to grips with the Shanghai International Circuit. 

After a difficult rookie season, Gabriel Bortoleto seems to have changed his fate in 2026. He scored two points for Audi in their debut race and hopes to keep this up throughout the season.

Verstappen doesn’t hide the fact that he finds racing less appealing in the 2026 F1 cars. He compares it to playing a famous Nintendo game.

F1’s 2026 technical overhaul is groundbreaking but not all of the drivers are impressed. What are their thoughts on the new cars after the season opener?

Ollie Bearman voices confidence in Haas’ performance, contributing to what is shaping up to be a fiercely contested midfield battle.