2026 F1 Chinese Grand Prix - Full results and times from FP1
Full results from Friday practice at the Chinese Grand Prix, Round 2 of the 2026 F1 world championship.
George Russell topped the sole practice session for the Chinese Grand Prix as Mercedes put on a crushingly dominant display to open the second weekend of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
Russell's 1m32.741s effort put him 0.120s clear of team-mate Kimi Antonelli, with Lando Norris third and 0.555s off the pace. Oscar Piastri followed in fourth, while Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton rounded out the top six as Ferrari debuted the Macarena wing.
However, Hamilton's ultimate pace was unclear, after an early spin flatspotted his medium rubber, and forced him to switch to soft tyres far earlier than the rest of the pack. With the track evolving throughout, his time was therefore incomparable to the rest of the top order.
After scoring points on debut last weekend, Arvid Lindblad retired from the session after completing just six laps, with smoke flowing from his cockpit.
Carlos Sainz also endured a difficult time for Williams, as a problem with his car forced him to remain in the garage for about half of the session.
| 2026 F1 Chinese GP - Practice Results (1) | |||||
| Pos | Driver | Nat. | Team | Time | Laps |
| 1 | George Russell | GBR | Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team | 1m32.741s | 28 |
| 2 | Kimi Antonelli | ITA | Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team | 1m32.861s | 29 |
| 3 | Lando Norris | GBR | McLaren Mastercard F1 Team | 1m33.296s | 28 |
| 4 | Oscar Piastri | AUS | McLaren Mastercard F1 Team | +1m33.472s | 27 |
| 5 | Charles Leclerc | MON | Scuderia Ferrari HP | 1m33.599s | 27 |
| 6 | Lewis Hamilton | GBR | Scuderia Ferrari HP | 1m34.129s | 25 |
| 7 | Oliver Bearman | GBR | TGR Haas F1 Team | 1m34.426s | 27 |
| 8 | Max Verstappen | NED | Oracle Red Bull Racing | 1m34.541s | 24 |
| 9 | Nico Hulkenberg | GER | Audi Revolut F1 Team | 1m34.639s | 26 |
| 10 | Pierre Gasly | FRA | BWT Alpine F1 Team | 1m34.676s | 27 |
| 11 | Liam Lawson | NWZ | Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team | 1m34.773s | 28 |
| 12 | Gabriel Bortoleto | BRA | Audi Revolut F1 Team | 1m34.828s | 25 |
| 13 | Isack Hadjar | FRA | Oracle Red Bull Racing | 1m34.856s | 25 |
| 14 | Esteban Ocon | FRA | TGR Haas F1 Team | 1m34.877s | 24 |
| 15 | Franco Colapinto | ARG | BWT Alpine F1 Team | 1m34.947s | 25 |
| 16 | Alex Albon | THA | Atlassian Williams F1 Team | 1m35.480s | 30 |
| 17 | Carlos Sainz | SPA | Atlassian Williams F1 Team | 1m35.679s | 17 |
| 18 | Fernando Alonso | SPA | Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team | 1m35.856s | 18 |
| 19 | Valtteri Bottas | FIN | Cadillac F1 Team | 1m36.057s | 24 |
| 20 | Lance Stroll | CAN | Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team | 1m37.224s | 20 |
| 21 | Arvid Lindblad | GBR | Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team | 1m37.896s | 6 |
| 22 | Sergio Perez | MEX | Cadillac F1 Team | 1m39.200s | 13 |
Sam joined Crash.net in February 2026 with extensive experience in motorsport media, having covered numerous championships around the world.
