Chinese Grand Prix
The Chinese Grand Prix is the second race of the 2026 season and will use the sprint format for the first time. Shanghai International Circuit has hosted the Chinese Grand Prix since 2004, combining technical challenges with overtaking opportunities. The track merges slow, technically demanding sections with two very fast straights. Distinctive features are the two 'snails'-extremely tight turns with curves approaching 270 degrees, one with a tightening radius and the other opening. The circuit was designed by Hermann Tilke's architectural team, which laid out the circuit layout to roughly mirror the Chinese character Shang.
Schedule
| Start | Session | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 03:30 | Freies Training 1 | 13 Mar 2026 | Finished |
| 07:30 | Sprint-Qualifying | 13 Mar 2026 | Finished |
| 03:00 | Sprint | 14 Mar 2026 | Finished |
| 07:00 | Qualifying | 14 Mar 2026 | Finished |
| 07:00 | Rennen | 15 Mar 2026 | Finished |
All times in Europe/London.
Where to watch
Start: 15 Mar 2026, 07:00 (Europe/London)
Broadcasters usually go on air 15 to 30 minutes before the start.
- ORF 1 free to air 🇦🇹 Austria Teilt sich die Saison mit ServusTV
- RTL free to air 🇩🇪 Germany Ausgewählte Rennen und Qualifyings im Free-TV
- SRF zwei free to air 🇨🇭 Switzerland Rennen und Qualifying frei empfangbar
- ServusTV free to air 🇦🇹 Austria Große Teile der Saison frei empfangbar
- Sky Sport F1 pay TV 🇩🇪 Germany Alle Sessions live und ohne Werbeunterbrechung
- F1 TV subscription international 🇦🇹🇦🇺🇨🇦🇨🇭🇬🇧🇮🇪🇳🇿🇺🇸 Serieneigener Dienst
- RTL+ subscription 🇩🇪 Germany Streaming zu den RTL-Übertragungen
- WOW subscription 🇩🇪 Germany Streaming-Angebot von Sky, monatlich kündbar
Qualifying and starting grid
| # | Driver | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andrea Kimi Antonelli Pole 1:32.064 Q3 | Mercedes | 1:32.064 Q3 |
| 2 | George Russell 1:32.286 Q3 | Mercedes | 1:32.286 Q3 |
| 3 | Lewis Hamilton 1:32.415 Q3 | Ferrari | 1:32.415 Q3 |
| 4 | Charles Leclerc 1:32.428 Q3 | Ferrari | 1:32.428 Q3 |
| 5 | Oscar Piastri 1:32.550 Q3 | McLaren | 1:32.550 Q3 |
| 6 | Lando Norris 1:32.608 Q3 | McLaren | 1:32.608 Q3 |
| 7 | Pierre Gasly 1:32.873 Q3 | Alpine F1 Team | 1:32.873 Q3 |
| 8 | Max Verstappen 1:33.002 Q3 | Red Bull | 1:33.002 Q3 |
| 9 | Isack Hadjar 1:33.121 Q3 | Red Bull | 1:33.121 Q3 |
| 10 | Oliver Bearman 1:33.292 Q3 | Haas F1 Team | 1:33.292 Q3 |
| 11 | Nico Hülkenberg 1:33.354 Q2 | Audi | 1:33.354 Q2 |
| 12 | Franco Colapinto 1:33.357 Q2 | Alpine F1 Team | 1:33.357 Q2 |
| 13 | Esteban Ocon 1:33.538 Q2 | Haas F1 Team | 1:33.538 Q2 |
| 14 | Liam Lawson 1:33.765 Q2 | RB F1 Team | 1:33.765 Q2 |
| 15 | Arvid Lindblad 1:33.784 Q2 | RB F1 Team | 1:33.784 Q2 |
| 16 | Gabriel Bortoleto 1:33.965 Q2 | Audi | 1:33.965 Q2 |
| 17 | Carlos Sainz 1:34.317 Q1 | Williams | 1:34.317 Q1 |
| 18 | Alexander Albon 1:34.772 Q1 | Williams | 1:34.772 Q1 |
| 19 | Fernando Alonso 1:35.203 Q1 | Aston Martin | 1:35.203 Q1 |
| 20 | Valtteri Bottas 1:35.436 Q1 | Cadillac F1 Team | 1:35.436 Q1 |
| 21 | Lance Stroll 1:35.995 Q1 | Aston Martin | 1:35.995 Q1 |
| 22 | Sergio Pérez 1:36.906 Q1 | Cadillac F1 Team | 1:36.906 Q1 |
Race result
| # | Driver | Team | Time | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andrea Kimi Antonelli 1:33:15.607 | Mercedes | 1:33:15.607 | 25 |
| 2 | George Russell +5.515 | Mercedes | +5.515 | 18 |
| 3 | Lewis Hamilton +25.267 | Ferrari | +25.267 | 15 |
| 4 | Charles Leclerc +28.894 | Ferrari | +28.894 | 12 |
| 5 | Oliver Bearman +57.268 | Haas F1 Team | +57.268 | 10 |
| 6 | Pierre Gasly +59.647 | Alpine F1 Team | +59.647 | 8 |
| 7 | Liam Lawson +1:20.588 | RB F1 Team | +1:20.588 | 6 |
| 8 | Isack Hadjar +1:27.247 | Red Bull | +1:27.247 | 4 |
| 9 | Carlos Sainz +11.673 | Williams | +11.673 | 2 |
| 10 | Franco Colapinto +12.403 | Alpine F1 Team | +12.403 | 1 |
| 11 | Nico Hülkenberg +21.109 | Audi | +21.109 | 0 |
| 12 | Arvid Lindblad +22.828 | RB F1 Team | +22.828 | 0 |
| 13 | Valtteri Bottas +56.158 | Cadillac F1 Team | +56.158 | 0 |
| 14 | Esteban Ocon +1:06.256 | Haas F1 Team | +1:06.256 | 0 |
| 15 | Sergio Pérez +1:14.641 | Cadillac F1 Team | +1:14.641 | 0 |
| 16 | Max Verstappen Retired | Red Bull | Retired | 0 |
| 17 | Fernando Alonso Retired | Aston Martin | Retired | 0 |
| 18 | Lance Stroll Retired | Aston Martin | Retired | 0 |
| 19 | Oscar Piastri Did not start | McLaren | Did not start | 0 |
| 20 | Lando Norris Did not start | McLaren | Did not start | 0 |
| 21 | Gabriel Bortoleto Did not start | Audi | Did not start | 0 |
| 22 | Alexander Albon Did not start | Williams | Did not start | 0 |
Drivers' standings 2026
| # | Driver | Team | Points | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andrea Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 365 | 9 |
| 2 | George Russell | Mercedes | 242 | 3 |
| 3 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 241 | 1 |
| 4 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 236 | 2 |
| 5 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 233 | 1 |
| 6 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 211 | 2 |
| 7 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 144 | 0 |
| 8 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull | 105 | 0 |
| 9 | Liam Lawson | RB F1 Team | 77 | 0 |
| 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine F1 Team | 42 | 0 |
| 11 | Arvid Lindblad | RB F1 Team | 38 | 0 |
| 12 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine F1 Team | 27 | 0 |
| 13 | Oliver Bearman | Haas F1 Team | 23 | 0 |
| 14 | Nico Hülkenberg | Audi | 13 | 0 |
| 15 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | 10 | 0 |
| 16 | Esteban Ocon | Haas F1 Team | 7 | 0 |
| 17 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 7 | 0 |
| 18 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 7 | 0 |
| 19 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 5 | 0 |
| 20 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB F1 Team | 1 | 0 |
| 21 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac F1 Team | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | Sergio Pérez | Cadillac F1 Team | 0 | 0 |
Teams' standings 2026
| # | Team | Points | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mercedes | 607 | 12 |
| 2 | Ferrari | 474 | 2 |
| 3 | Red Bull | 355 | 2 |
| 4 | McLaren | 355 | 2 |
| 5 | RB F1 Team | 102 | 0 |
| 6 | Alpine F1 Team | 69 | 0 |
| 7 | Haas F1 Team | 30 | 0 |
| 8 | Audi | 23 | 0 |
| 9 | Williams | 12 | 0 |
| 10 | Aston Martin | 7 | 0 |
| 11 | Cadillac F1 Team | 0 | 0 |
About this race
The Formula 1 held Chinese Grand Prix on Friday, 13 March 2026. It was held at Shanghai International Circuit.
The circuit is located in Shanghai, China and measures 5.451 kilometres, has 16 corners and opened in 2004.
The Shanghai International Circuit is a modern motorsport road course located in the Jiading District of Shanghai, China. Designed by architect Hermann Tilke and opened in 2004, it serves as the venue for the Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix. The circuit spans 5.451 kilometers with 16 turns and features a layout resembling the Chinese character Shang. Key characteristics include a distinctive tightening right-hand turn at the start, high-speed cornering sections like Turns 7 and 8 that demand significant g-forces, and a 1.2-kilometer straightaway between Turns 13 and 14 where cars reach speeds exceeding 320 km/h. The track provides multiple overtaking opportunities and is recognized as one of the most technically demanding circuits on the Formula 1 calendar.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) took the win ahead of George Russell. The full result is listed further up this page.
The race was shown free to air on ServusTV, ORF 1 and SRF zwei. Every broadcaster with country and access is listed in the broadcast section.
Frequently asked questions
When does Chinese Grand Prix start?
Chinese Grand Prix starts on Sunday, 15 March 2026 at 07:00 central European time.
Where does Chinese Grand Prix take place?
The venue is Shanghai International Circuit in Shanghai.
Where can I watch Chinese Grand Prix?
In Germany RTL, Sky Sport F1, WOW, RTL+ carry the broadcast. It is free to air on RTL.
Who won Chinese Grand Prix?
Andrea Kimi Antonelli took the win for Mercedes.
More in the calendar
Other races at this circuit
- FE Shanghai ePrix 4 Jul 2026
- GTWC Asia Shanghai 30 Oct 2026
- FE Shanghai ePrix 10 Jul 2027