Shanghai: George Russell has secured victory in the sprint race at the Chinese Grand Prix after an intense early battle with Lewis Hamilton.
The two drivers exchanged the lead multiple times in the opening laps before Russell eventually pulled clear to claim the win. Hamilton, racing for Ferrari, initially surged from fourth on the grid and quickly joined Russell in a thrilling duel. The pair swapped positions five times within the first five laps, delivering one of the most exciting starts of the sprint season.
After Russell finally established control of the race, Hamilton came under pressure from his teammate Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque driver overtook Hamilton on lap eight to secure second place, leaving Hamilton to settle for third as Ferrari locked out the remaining podium positions.
A safety car later bunched up the field after Nico Hulkenberg retired with a technical issue, briefly reshuffling the order. Hamilton momentarily lost position to Lando Norris during the restart phase but quickly regained the place with a bold move around the outside of Turn One.
Further down the grid, Kimi Antonelli recovered strongly to finish fifth despite dropping positions at the start and serving a 10-second penalty for colliding with Isack Hadjar on the opening lap. Antonelli briefly lost his position to Oscar Piastri during the restart, but the McLaren driver was instructed to give the place back after overtaking before the start line.
Elsewhere in the field, Liam Lawson climbed from ninth to seventh after staying out during the safety car period, while Haas driver Oliver Bearman secured the final points position. Meanwhile, reigning champion Max Verstappen endured a difficult race. After a slow start dropped him to 15th on the opening lap, the Red Bull driver fought back to finish ninth, narrowly missing out on a point.
The sprint race provided plenty of drama and set the stage for what promises to be a highly competitive main race at the Chinese Grand Prix.
MOST READ | Canada loses over 100,000 full-time jobs in 2026
