MiniDrivers – 2026 China – S-Race

The sprint race in Shanghai delivered an intense short battle that once again confirmed the strong start to the season for George Russell. After his dominant weekend in Melbourne, the British driver arrived in China determined to continue his momentum, and the 19-lap contest quickly turned into a thrilling fight at the front. Ferrari showed strong pace as well, with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton constantly pressuring the leader in what became one of the most entertaining short races in recent memory.  

When the lights went out, Russell held the lead, but Hamilton immediately attacked and the two drivers began an aggressive duel during the opening laps. They exchanged the lead several times, battling wheel-to-wheel through the long corners of the Shanghai circuit while Leclerc stayed close behind, waiting for the opportunity to join the fight. The three drivers quickly broke away from the rest of the field, turning the race into a tense three-way contest.  

As the laps progressed, tire management began to play a crucial role. Hamilton pushed hard in the early phase to challenge Russell, but the intense fight gradually started to affect his pace. Leclerc, who had stayed slightly more conservative in the opening laps, began to close in and eventually moved ahead of his teammate to take second place, positioning himself as Russell’s main challenger.  

The race took another twist when a Safety Car was deployed after Nico Hülkenberg stopped on track with a technical issue. The neutralization erased Russell’s advantage and set up a tense restart with only a few laps remaining. Despite the pressure from both Ferrari drivers behind him, Russell executed the restart perfectly and immediately created a small gap that proved decisive.  

Behind the leading trio, the fight for the remaining points was equally intense. Lando Norris finished fourth after a consistent run, while Kimi Antonelli crossed the line in fifth but received a time penalty following contact with rookie Isack Hadjar earlier in the race. Further back, Max Verstappen struggled with tire degradation and could only manage ninth place after a difficult afternoon.