Chinese Grand Prix 2026 — Weekend Preview

Round 2 of the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship takes the field to Shanghai, China. Chinese Grand Prix — The Circuit of Sustained Battles. George Russell leads the championship with 25 points, 7 points ahead of Kimi Antonelli.

Driver Championship (entering R2):
P1: George Russell — 25 pts (1W, 1P)
P2: Kimi Antonelli — 18 pts (0W, 1P)
P3: Charles Leclerc — 15 pts (0W, 1P)
P4: Lewis Hamilton — 12 pts (0W, 0P)
P5: Lando Norris — 10 pts (0W, 0P)

Constructor Championship:
P1: Mercedes — 43 pts
P2: Ferrari — 27 pts
P3: McLaren — 10 pts
P4: Red Bull Racing — 8 pts
P5: Haas F1 Team — 6 pts

Shanghai is a balanced challenge.

Recent winners at Shanghai:
- 2026: Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
- 2025: Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
- 2024: Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing)

3 different winners in the last 3 years — no driver has dominated this circuit recently.

Tyre strategy data will be available after practice sessions provide degradation information.

Battles to watch:

Championship battle: George Russell vs Kimi Antonelli — 7 points separate them.

P3 vs P4: Charles Leclerc (15) vs Lewis Hamilton (12) — just 3 points apart.
P4 vs P5: Lewis Hamilton (12) vs Lando Norris (10) — just 2 points apart.
P5 vs P6: Lando Norris (10) vs Max Verstappen (8) — just 2 points apart.