F1 Chinese GP live commentary and updates - Qualifying
Follow updates for qualifying at the Chinese Grand Prix after George Russell won the sprint race
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Hello everybody! Welcome back to our live commentary and this time, it is for qualifying at the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai.
While Mercedes and Ferrari enjoyed a good sprint, Red Bull didn't. Max Verstappen finished ninth with team-mate Isack Hadjar also outside of the points in 15th in what has been a troublesome weekend so far.
Verstappen told Sky Sports: “I have not a lot of words at the moment, to be honest. Everything that could go wrong went wrong. Start, of course, is one problem that we have to fix, but then after that the balance is all over the place.
“Probably the highest degradation of everyone out there, which is just uncontrollable. Plus some other bits on the car that were not, I would say, well prepared. We just need to get our stuff together.”
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Photo by: Andy Hone/ LAT Images via Getty Images
Isack Hadjar was also left unimpressed by Kimi Antonelli colliding into him on the opening lap, after the Mercedes driver found himself in the lower half of the top 10 due to a poor start.
Hadjar told Canal+: “We wanted to understand how the soft was going to perform, and with a completely destroyed floor, we can’t work.”
“I don’t understand why he’s overexcited like that when he’s got a rocketship and will recover regardless… Anyway, it happens.”
Q1 is go!
It's a busy start to Q1 with drivers rushing out on track. Only the Mercedes pair, Audi duo and Perez are yet to hit the circuit.
There's a mix of tyres being used so far as most are on the softs, but some have opted for medium rubber in the early stages of Q1.
One driver on the mediums is Max Verstappen, who has set the early pace with a 1m34.490s. That's even 0.017s quicker than soft-runner Leclerc.
The soft runners have eventually taken over though with both McLaren and Audis in the top four - Mercedes yet to set a time.
Both Astons and Cadillacs are expected to be eliminated in Q1, but who joins them remains to be seen with six dropping out.
In sprint quali it was both Williams drivers in a frustrating start to the campaign for the British outfit.
"Box, box, we have an issue" is exactly the message Arvid Lindblad wasn't hoping to receive from his Racing Bulls team. But unfortunately for the rookie, he has.
That looks as though it could be the end of his session.
Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls
Photo by: Guido De Bortoli / LAT Images via Getty Images
Update: It wasn't and Lindblad is currently on his outlap with two minutes remaining.
The Briton is 16th, one spot above the drop zone which is currently occupied by each driver from Williams, Cadillac and Aston Martin.
But going back to the split tyre choices at the start of Q1. Verstappen has now switched to softs with him facing the prospect of an early exit.
The four-time world champion is 15th, one spot behind team-mate Isack Hadjar.
There we are, that should be enough as a purple final sector pushes Verstappen up to fourth. Hadjar is also out of trouble in eighth.
Yep, pretty much as expected with Williams, Cadillac and Aston all out in Q1:
17. Carlos Sainz
18. Alex Albon
19. Fernando Alonso
20. Valtteri Bottas
21. Lance Stroll
22. Sergio Perez
"Terrible", reacts a loud, angry Alex Albon.
Poor, poor Williams. This is not how it was expected to go. For years it'd talked about mastering the 2026 regulation change and 12 months ago, things were looking positive having enjoyed a strong start to 2025.
But here we are. No points at the Melbourne opener and it'll take something special to score at least something in Shanghai.
Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing, Carlos Sainz, Williams
Photo by: Dom Gibbons / Formula 1 via Getty Images
James Vowles: "It was a good lap Carlos. That was all the car has in it."
Back for Q2!
While there were split strategies at the start of Q1, that isn't the case in Q2 with all drivers on the softs.
Everybody has a set lap now, and it's nerve-wracking times for Isack Hadjar and Oscar Piastri who are both on the edge.
Nico Hulkenberg, Esteban Ocon, Franco Colapinto, Liam Lawson, Arvid Lindblad and Gabriel Bortoleto.
That should be enough for Piastri who has moved up to sixth on his recent lap, but Hadjar is looking ropey as he remains 10th.
Lucky, lucky Isack. Just after he set his lap, Gabriel Bortoleto went off at the final corner, thus causing a double waved yellow flag in the last sector.
Drivers, including Arvid Lindblad, had to back off.
Green flag running returned in Q2 with 30 seconds remaining and it was all on Franco Colapinto to knock out Hadjar, but the Alpine driver could only muster 12th.
Hadjar got away with that one. It looks as though Bortoleto simply got too much kerb and spun sideways into the tyre barrier. Car doesn't look too damaged though.
So, those out in Q2 are:
11. Nico Hulkenberg
12. Franco Colapinto
13. Esteban Ocon
14. Liam Lawson
15. Arvid Lindblad
16. Gabriel Bortoleto
It might be time to have a conversation about Ocon. His Haas boss Ayao Komatsu caused a stir in the off-season by saying the team expected more from the grand prix winner last year, in what was a frustrating debut campaign for Ocon at the American outfit.
What makes it worse is that towards the end, his younger team-mate Oliver Bearman started to get the better of him and that has continued into 2026. How does Ocon overturn this?
Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team
Photo by: Guido De Bortoli / LAT Images via Getty Images
Time for the pole shootout.
Uh-oh! Championship leader Russell has stopped on track at Turn 5 reporting various mechanical problems.
He's got going again, but the engine certainly doesn't sound healthy.
"I cannot shift the gears," he says.
This presents a golden opportunity for Antonelli, who sets the early pace in Q3 with a 1m32.322s. Around three tenths quicker than second-placed Leclerc and six tenths above Hamilton in third.
Russell is back in the pits now, remains to be seen if he can set a laptime. As things stand, teenager Antonelli will become F1's youngest ever polesitter.
But could McLaren throw a surprise? Both of its drivers have gone ahead of the Ferraris, with Piastri currently joining Kimi on the front row.
Drivers are coming back out for their final lap of Q3, but no sign of Russell yet...
There he is, Russell leaves his garage with 2m15s left in the session. Cutting it fine.
Antonelli 0.010s slower in the opening sector, while Norris goes purple.
Purple middle sector for Kimi though, so great fight back.
The Mercedes driver goes 0.258s quicker on his final lap, so that's exactly what he needed.
Norris fails to improve.
By: Ed Hardy
