2026 F1 Chinese Grand Prix - Sprint qualifying results
Full results from sprint qualifying at the Chinese Grand Prix, Round 2 of the 2026 F1 world championship.
George Russell dominated sprint qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix to lead home a comfortable Mercedes 1-2.
Russell topped all three phases of sprint qualifying, with only the Mercedes duo able to sink below the 92-second lap time.
Reigning champion Lando Norris led the McLaren charge in third, backing up the strong pace shown in practice. Oscar Piastri will line up directly behind his team-mate, in fifth.
Ferrari elected to remove the Macarena wing ahead of the session, which appeared to affect Charles Leclerc more than Lewis Hamilton. The latter will start fourth, with Leclerc sixth.
Red Bull may have seen both Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar reach SQ3, but that was a thin silver lining given the pace deficit and Verstappen's continued complaints about the car.
Sergio Perez will start the sprint race at the foot of the grid after a fuel system issue prevented him from taking part in sprint qualifying.
| 2026 F1 Chinese Grand Prix - Sprint Qualifying Results | ||||||
| Pos | Driver | Nat. | Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 |
| 1 | George Russell | GBR | Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team | 1m33.030s | 1m32.241s | 1m31.520s |
| 2 | Kimi Antonelli | ITA | Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team | 1m33.455s | 1m32.291s | 1m31.809s |
| 3 | Lando Norris | GBR | McLaren Mastercard F1 Team | 1m33.783s | 1m33.086s | 1m32.141s |
| 4 | Lewis Hamilton | GBR | Scuderia Ferrari HP | 1m33.148s | 1m33.042s | 1m32.161s |
| 5 | Oscar Piastri | AUS | McLaren Mastercard F1 Team | 1m33.813s | 1m33.038s | 1m32.224s |
| 6 | Charles Leclerc | MON | Scuderia Ferrari HP | 1m33.194s | 1m32.602s | 1m32.528s |
| 7 | Pierre Gasly | FRA | BWT Alpine F1 Team | 1m33.970s | 1m33.405s | 1m32.888s |
| 8 | Max Verstappen | NED | Oracle Red Bull Racing | 1m34.170s | 1m33.564s | 1m33.254s |
| 9 | Oliver Bearman | GBR | TGR Haas F1 Team | 1m34.280s | 1m33.501s | 1m33.409s |
| 10 | Isack Hadjar | FRA | Oracle Red Bull Racing | 1m34.447s | 1m33.620s | 1m33.723s |
| 11 | Nico Hulkenberg | GER | Audi Revolut F1 Team | 1m33.997s | 1m33.635s | |
| 12 | Esteban Ocon | FRA | TGR Haas F1 Team | 1m34.087s | 1m33.639s | |
| 13 | Liam Lawson | NZL | Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team | 1m34.110s | 1m33.714s | |
| 14 | Gabriel Bortoleto | BRA | Audi Revolut F1 Team | 1m34.291s | 1m33.774s | |
| 15 | Arvid Lindblad | GBR | Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team | 1m34.495s | 1m34.048s | |
| 16 | Franco Colapinto | ARG | BWT Alpine F1 Team | 1m34.592s | 1m34.327s | |
| 17 | Carlos Sainz | ESP | Atlassian Williams Racing | 1m34.761s | ||
| 18 | Alex Albon | THA | Atlassian Williams F1 Team | 1m35.305s | ||
| 19 | Fernando Alonso | ESP | Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team | 1m35.581s | ||
| 20 | Lance Stroll | CAN | Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team | 1m36.151s | ||
| 21 | Valtteri Bottas | FIN | Cadillac F1 Team | 1m37.378s | ||
| 22 | Sergio Perez | MEX | Cadillac F1 Team | No time set | ||
Sam joined Crash.net in February 2026 with extensive experience in motorsport media, having covered numerous championships around the world.
