Key events
Before we go on any further, though, perhaps we should check in on Max Verstappen, whose tone throughout the 2026 campaign and its new era of rules and regulations thus far bears some resemblance to that old Onion headline reading “Man Who Thought He’d Lost All Hope Loses Last Additional Bit Of Hope He Didn’t Even Know He Still Had”
After Friday’s practice sessions he said “We have never had anything this bad,” after putting the Red Bull through its paces and his efforts to complete a lap in qualifying yesterday as being about “survival”.
Norris’ McLaren is still in the garage and it now doesn’t have a seat in it: mechanics needing to remove it so they could get a look at the electrics of his car. Some frantic work taking place with just over 20 minutes to lights out.
Russell’s issues in qualifying didn’t prevent him from seeing off challenges from the Ferraris to win the first sprint race of the season. That result left the championship standings looking like this.
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George Russell, Mercedes, 33
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Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, 22
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Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, 22
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Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, 18
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Lando Norris, McLaren, 15
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Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, 8
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Oliver Bearman, Haas, 7
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Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls, 4
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Oscar Piastri, McLaren, 3
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Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi, 2
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Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls, 2
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Pierre Gasly, Alpine, 1
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Esteban Ocon, Haas
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Alexander Albon, Williams
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Franco Colapinto, Alpine
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Carlos Sainz, Williams
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Sergio Perez, Cadillac
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Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing
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Nico Hulkenberg, Audi
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Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin
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Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac
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Lance Stroll, Aston Martin
So Norris hasn’t come out from the McLaren garage to complete reconnaissance laps of the Shanghai circuit, with word that work is taking place on an electrical issue – albeit one that doesn’t sound like it will threaten his ability to take part in the race.
Gremlins in the electrics are becoming something of a theme this weekend, previously striking Russell ahead of Q3 and restricting him to just one, off-tune flying lap.
The grid in Shanghai
Here’s how they’ll begin in 魔都, the Magic City.
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Kimi Antonelli Mercedes
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George Russell Mercedes
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Lewis Hamilton Ferrari
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Charles Leclerc Ferrari
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Oscar Piastri McLaren
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Lando Norris McLaren
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Pierre Gasly Alpine
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Max Verstappen Red Bull
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Isack Hadjar Red Bull
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Oliver Bearman Haas
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Nico Hulkenberg Audi
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Franco Colapinto Alpine
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Esteban Ocon Haas
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Liam Lawson Racing Bulls
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Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls
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Gabriel Bortoleto Audi
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Carlos Sainz Wlliams
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Fernando Alonso Aston Martin
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Valtteri Bottas Cadillac
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Lance Stroll Aston Martin
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Sergio Perez Cadillac
Alexander Albon and his Williams, which is significantly overweight and been giving he and teammate Sainz fits all season, will start from pit lane after breaking parc ferme rules to make changes to his suspension set-up.
Significant news has broken already today, of course, after it was confirmed that races scheduled for Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in April will not be going ahead to the ongoing conflict between the United States and Israel, and Iran.
It has been confirmed today that, after careful evaluations, due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East region, the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix will not take place in April. While several alternatives were considered, it was ultimately decided that no substitutions will be made in April.
Huh, there’s an interview with Leclerc on the broadcast and, apparently, he was born in the year of the fire ox. This apparently means that extreme success and rapid career progression can come in the year of the fire horse, which 2026 is.
Cool. Just looked it up and I’m a metal goat. Sounds like something you’d make an album about.
As Giles Richards writes in his report on qualifying, however, Antonelli’s history-making drive wasn’t just a triumph for the youngster but, in addition, some level of vindication from his Mercedes principal, Toto Wolff.
Preamble
Joey Lynch
Howdy y’all, it’s ya boi Joey Lynch, back to take you through all the action from Shanghai as the 2026 Formula One world championship marks its second race of the campaign.
For the first, but probably not the last time, Kimi Antonelli will start from pole today: the 19-year-old becoming the youngest pole sitter in F1 history after going fastest in his Mercedes yesterday. At 19 years, 6 months, 18 days, he (handily) broke Jensen Button’s record as he topped the grid, the Brit having previously taken the mark when he went fastest in Italy back in 2008, doing so at 21 years, 2 months, 11 days.
Adding a bit of a further thrill for the youngster, he became first Italian to go pole since Giancarlo Fisichella went fastest while driving for Force India but at the 2009 Belgian Grand Prix. A penny for the thoughts of Ferrari fans that neither of those drives came in red.
Despite a few issues that restricted him to just a single flying lap in Q3, championship favourite George Russell will start alongside Antonelli on the front row of the grid, with the all Mercedes lockout up front mirrored on the second-row, where the Ferraris of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will start, and the third-row, where the McLarens of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris will commence.
Plenty to look forward to, including plenty of rancour as the new era of regulations continues to serve as a major talking point. So let’s get to it.
Lights out at 3pm local/6pm AEDT/7am GMT.
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