Overview
- George Russell converted sprint pole into victory in Shanghai, finishing ahead of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton after an early lead tussle.
- Kimi Antonelli received a 10-second penalty for first-lap contact with Isack Hadjar, dropped down the order, and recovered to finish fifth.
- An earlier SQ2 impeding probe against Antonelli did not alter the sprint grid after Lando Norris told stewards he was not on a push lap.
- Max Verstappen’s difficulties persisted under the new rules, qualifying only eighth and finishing ninth in the sprint after reporting poor drivability.
- Sergio Pérez missed sprint qualifying due to a Cadillac fuel-system issue, Ferrari shelved its rotating ‘Macarena’ rear wing, and limited practice magnified errors such as Lewis Hamilton’s FP1 spin and tyre flat-spot.