George Russell continued his red-hot start to the 2026 season, securing a dominant sprint pole at the Chinese Grand Prix.
Following his victory in Australia, Russell led a Mercedes 1-2, outqualifying teenage teammate Kimi Antonelli by 0.289 seconds.
While Mercedes soared, Red Bull endured a “disaster” session. Four-time champion Max Verstappen could only manage 8th, finishing a massive 1.734s off the pace.
“No grip, no balance,” Verstappen admitted, as the RB21 struggled to find any rhythm in Shanghai.
Lando Norris took 3rd for McLaren, just ahead of Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton.
Despite the gap, Charles Leclerc (6th) remains optimistic, noting that while the Mercedes engine dominates qualifying, Ferrari expects to be much closer in race trim.
At the back, Aston Martin and Williams continued to struggle, with Fernando Alonso languishing in 19th.
