Power unit supremacy: Mercedes engines dominate China Sprint Qualifying. George Russell secures pole for the Chinese GP Sprint in Shanghai.

Once again, George Russell. The British driver, after taking both pole and victory at the Australian Grand Prix, repeated the feat in the Sprint Qualifying of the Chinese Grand Prix, securing the Sprint Race pole with a time of 1’31″520 at the Shanghai International Circuit.

It’s not just about Russell, though, as Mercedes once again showcased their strength. Andrea Kimi Antonelli claimed second place, only 0.289 seconds behind his teammate’s benchmark time. This performance highlights the dominance of the W17 cars and, more generally, Mercedes power units, with four cars in the Top 5 and only the Ferrari V6 interrupting the hybrid engines’ streak from Brixworth.

Lando Norris finished third in the McLaren, over six-tenths off the W17 pace, while Oscar Piastri disappointed in fifth, seven-tenths behind Russell. Between the two MCL40s, the first Ferrari appears, driven by Lewis Hamilton, who continues to show encouraging progress after a challenging 2025 season.

Charles Leclerc had a much tougher SQ3. After showing promising speed in the first two mini-stints, the Monegasque made a mistake in the central sector during his decisive lap, relegating him to sixth, a full second behind Russell’s pole time.

Pierre Gasly revived Alpine with an impressive seventh place, demonstrating that the A526 is adapting better to the Mercedes power unit, even surpassing both Red Bulls, including four-time world champion Max Verstappen, who finished 1.7 seconds off the pace. This gap highlights Verstappen’s struggles and may further dampen his focus, seemingly more inclined toward his GT programs than pushing the Red Bull forward. Isack Hadjar completed SQ3 in tenth after an error on his final lap.

Another standout was Oliver Bearman, who inserted himself between the Red Bulls. The British driver continues his rapid development, aided by Haas updates that improved rear downforce and enabled effective use of the Ferrari power unit.

Worth noting, this 2026 F1 car, often criticized by fans, has approached the lap time Lewis Hamilton set for the Sprint Race pole in 2025 (Russell’s 1’31″520 vs Hamilton’s 1’30″849).

Audi narrowly missed the Top 10 in SQ3 with Nico Hulkenberg, proving that the R26 is competitive for fifth in the Constructors’ Championship. Hulkenberg was 11th by just 0.015 seconds, while Gabriel Bortoleto was 14th. Between the two R26s, Esteban Ocon in the second Haas was 12th, unable to match Bearman, ahead of Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson in 13th, the team’s strongest performer. Arvid Lindblad was 15th, limited by a mechanical issue that prevented him from running in the only morning practice session.

Franco Colapinto merits separate mention. After a notable avoidance maneuver in Albert Park earlier this year, today he only managed 16th despite Pierre Gasly being in the Top 10 with a strong SQ2 lap. Alpine’s leadership has shown confidence after a below-par 2025, but results need to improve quickly.

The times don’t lie. The Williams FW48s, almost 30 kilograms overweight, failed to progress beyond SQ1, with Carlos Sainz Jr. and Alexander Albon finishing 17th and 18th respectively. Aston Martin Racing and Cadillac closed out the order, highlighting ongoing struggles. Fernando Alonso stayed ahead of teammate Lance Stroll, while Sergio Perez did not run, and Valtteri Bottas faced hybrid issues.

Sprint qualifying Shanghai – full results