Mercedes Dominates Opening Practice in Shanghai

George Russell and Kimi Antonelli led a commanding Mercedes 1-2 in the sole practice session for the Chinese Grand Prix, establishing themselves as the clear favorites ahead of Sprint qualifying. The Silver Arrows' duo finished over half a second clear of the McLarens, with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton a distant fifth and sixth, respectively, in a session that set the early competitive picture for F1's first Sprint weekend of 2026.

Why it matters:

With only one hour of practice before the high-stakes Sprint Shootout, this session offered the only real data point for teams to dial in their cars. Mercedes' significant margin suggests they have a strong baseline setup for the unique Shanghai circuit, potentially giving them a crucial advantage in the compressed weekend format where preparation time is severely limited.

The details:

• Mercedes' Commanding Pace: The team's advantage crystallized in the final 15 minutes during qualifying simulations. Russell set the benchmark at 1m32.741s, with rookie Antonelli just 0.120s behind. They were nearly seven-tenths of a second clear of their nearest rival.
• The Chase Pack: Oscar Piastri was best of the rest for McLaren, 0.731s off the pace, followed by Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) and Lando Norris (McLaren). Lewis Hamilton, despite a soft-tyre run, could only manage sixth, over 1.3 seconds behind his teammate.
• A Subdued Red Bull: In a quiet session, Max Verstappen finished a distant eighth, 1.8 seconds off Russell's time, with teammate Isack Hadjar in 13th.
• Midfield Mix: Oliver Bearman led the midfield for Haas in seventh, despite a late spin. He finished just ahead of Nico Hülkenberg (Audi) and Pierre Gasly (Alpine).
• Session Interruptions: The hour was punctuated by several incidents. Williams' Franco Colapinto spun early on, Arvid Lindblad (RB) stopped on track with a technical issue, and Lewis Hamilton had a spin after a brake lock-up. Carlos Sainz lost 35 minutes due to a data problem but managed a late soft-tyre run.

What's next:

All eyes now turn to the Sprint Shootout, where teams have no time to analyze the practice data before committing to a setup. Mercedes will aim to convert its practice pace into a front-row lockout, while McLaren, Ferrari, and a seemingly off-form Red Bull must find immediate answers. The limited running leaves the door open for surprises, as teams with a better initial read on the circuit—or those willing to take a strategic gamble—could spring an upset in the fight for Sprint grid positions.