Ask Onix
Mercedes locks out front row for Shanghai sprint race
George Russell secured his second pole position in six days after topping qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix sprint race, leading Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli by 0.289 seconds. The Silver Arrows were nearly six-tenths ahead of the first non-Mercedes driver, McLaren's Lando Norris.
Russell extends early-season momentum
Russell's performance mirrors his recent success in Melbourne, where he clinched pole and won the season-opening race. The Briton described the car as "really great all day," noting improved engine performance compared to Australia, where energy-recovery mode disruptions had posed challenges. "The focus since Melbourne has been about improving the starts," he added.
McLaren and Ferrari show mixed progress
Norris's third-place finish marked a step forward for McLaren, who had qualified fifth and sixth in Australia. The world champion, however, finished the Melbourne race over 50 seconds behind Russell. "P3 is as good as we can do for the time being," Norris said. "Pretty happy to beat both Ferraris."
Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton, who spun in practice, secured fourth place but acknowledged a power deficit. "We are losing a lot of time on the straights," he said. "Mercedes have done a fantastic job, and we have to step up." Teammate Charles Leclerc, who started fourth in Australia and led the race, admitted Mercedes' power unit had an edge in qualifying but insisted Ferrari was closer in race trim.
Red Bull struggles continue in Shanghai
Max Verstappen's eighth-place finish, 1.734 seconds off Russell's pace, underscored Red Bull's struggles. The four-time champion described the day as "a disaster pace-wise," citing grip and balance issues. Teammate Isack Hadjar qualified tenth, over two seconds behind the Mercedes duo. In Australia, Hadjar had secured third place, highlighting the team's inconsistency.
"The whole day has been a disaster pace-wise, no grip, no balance, just losing massive amounts of time in the corners."
Max Verstappen
Backmarkers face uphill battle
Williams and Aston Martin continued to lag behind, with Carlos Sainz's Williams 1.7 seconds off the pace in 17th. Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso, 19th, trailed by 2.5 seconds but was nearly six-tenths ahead of teammate Lance Stroll. Alonso cited engine reliability concerns, noting, "Any problems could be very difficult for the rest of the weekend."
Sprint qualifying results
- George Russell (Mercedes) - 1:31.520
- Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) +0.289
- Lando Norris (McLaren) +0.621
- Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) +0.641
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +0.704
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +1.008
- Pierre Gasly (Alpine) +1.368
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +1.734
- Oliver Bearman (Haas) +1.889
- Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) +2.203
