Overview
- George Russell took pole for the Sprint ahead of teammate Kimi Antonelli, with Lando Norris third, Lewis Hamilton fourth, Charles Leclerc sixth and Max Verstappen eighth.
- Team principal Fred Vasseur said Ferrari tested the ‘Macarena’ rear wing in FP1 but stood it down to build mileage for a final evaluation after bringing several units to China.
- Mercedes set the pace in practice as well, reinforcing its early benchmark status from Melbourne heading into Shanghai’s Sprint and qualifying format.
- Hamilton noted Ferrari’s main deficit on straights linked to energy deployment, underscoring the team’s push for power and efficiency gains alongside aerodynamic work.
- The FIA plans hot bench tests from June to scrutinize power‑unit behavior, a developing issue as rivals question aspects of Mercedes’ engine compliance.