15 March 2026 07:49
McLaren is scrambling to get Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri to the start of the Chinese Grand Prix, with the world champion and his team-mate set for a pitlane start if the team can solve the issues in time.
Norris qualified sixth on Saturday but was not able to take up his grid slot during the pre-race procedure before the pitlane exit had closed.
McLaren had to take off the floor of the ...
15 March 2026 01:35
The official Formula 1 social media accounts shared a curious moment in China. At the finish of the Chinese GP sprint race, Kimi Antonelli’s attempt to apologize to Isack Hadjar was coldly rejected by the French driver.
The Mercedes driver, who would later secure pole position for Sunday’s race, approached the Red Bull after causing a collision on the first lap. The Italian was quickly ...
14 March 2026 23:59
What had been expected for some time was officially confirmed during the race weekend in Shanghai: due to the ongoing unrest in the Middle East, the races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have been cancelled.
Logically, this has financial consequences and logistical implications for the teams, particularly as part of the teams’ freight and paddock gear is still in Bahrain after winter testing. But ...
14 March 2026 23:00
F1 and governing body the FIA have officially announced the series will not travel to Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in April due to the US-Israeli war on Iran.
The two Middle Eastern races will not be replaced, meaning there is a five-week gap in the calendar between the end-of-March Japan round and the Miami Grand Prix in the first week of May.
Since the US killing of Iran's supreme leader ...
14 March 2026 22:39
The United States Grand Prix has announced its two headline acts for the 2026 Formula 1 race weekend.
GRAMMY Award-winning band Maroon 5, famous for chart-topping songs including Sugar, This Love and Moves Like Jagger, will kick off the race weekend with the headline slot on Friday 23 October at the Germania Insurance Super Stage.
Taking to the same stage on Saturday 24 October will be Post ...
14 March 2026 21:42
Ralf Schumacher has championed McLaren for making a step forward. While the former driver is confident this will lead to more exciting racing, he added that Mercedes likely has performance left in the tank.
Mercedes has had a strong start to the season. This has led to concerns from fans that the Brackley outfit could dominate the year, leading to a repeat of previous predictable seasons such ...
14 March 2026 21:14
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli approached Red Bull's Isack Hadjar after the Chinese sprint race to apologise for causing a collision between the two, but footage shared by Formula 1 showed that it fell on deaf ears.
Antonelli received a 10-second penalty for crashing into Hadjar on the opening lap of Saturday's sprint, resulting in damage to the Frenchman's car. The Red Bull driver ultimately ...
14 March 2026 18:36
It's no overstatement that Williams's start to 2026 has been a disaster. From a sample size of three qualifying sessions in Melbourne and Shanghai, its highest qualifying position is Alex Albon's 15th place on the grid in Australia, when team-mate Carlos Sainz didn't make qualifying after hitting trouble in third free practice.
In China, Sainz and Albon were dumped out in Q1 in 17th and 18th ...
14 March 2026 15:07
George Russell has defended the new Formula 1 regulations, claiming “diehard” fans are enjoying the 2026 rules more than they thought they would.
F1 is debuting its latest regulation overhaul with changes to both the chassis and power unit, the latter of which is now more reliant on electrical energy so battery management is key.
It entails downshifting on a straight or lifting and ...
14 March 2026 14:10
Mercedes team chief Toto Wolff has been branded a "class act" by fans after the Brackley outfit shared a video of the Austrian reacting to Lewis Hamilton securing third behind Kimi Antonelli and George Russell in qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix.
"I actually thought for a moment that we had three cars," he said to the camera as he looked at the timing screens. "First, second and third ...
14 March 2026 13:22
McLaren had to settle for the third row in Shanghai, with Oscar Piastri fifth ahead of Lando Norris, both around half a second off polesitter Kimi Antonelli in the Mercedes. There are obvious signs of improvement compared to Melbourne, where the team failed to optimise its performance in qualifying and was still learning on the job as it tried to get the most out of its complex new Mercedes power ...
14 March 2026 13:12
Former Williams deputy team principal Claire Williams shared a heartfelt tribute to her parents on the anniversary of her mother, Lady Virginia Williams's passing and her father, Sir Frank Williams's accident.
Williams became the family representative on the board of her father's racing team when he stepped down in 2012, and she later became the deputy team principal in 2013, taking over the ...
14 March 2026 12:55
Former Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher has argued that the "superb job" that Ferrari has done over the winter break will have taken the pressure off team principal Fred Vasseur.
After a difficult 2025 season, which resulted in the Maranello outfit finishing fourth in the constructors' standings, Ferrari has arrived in 2026 with competitive machinery, especially at race starts. After just one ...
14 March 2026 12:51
Lance Stroll isn't always great entertainment when facing the media, especially on a bad day. And Saturday in China was one of those – as most days currently are for Aston Martin in Formula 1.
The Canadian managed to outqualify only Sergio Perez, who had an issue with his car during the session – so Stroll ended up 21st on the timesheet with a 2.8s gap to the fastest time in Q1 set by ...
14 March 2026 11:59
Lewis Hamilton has been branded as the "worthy successor to Inspector Seb" by fans after he was spotted inspecting the dominant Mercedes.
The seven-time Formula 1 champion left the Brackley outfit at the end of 2024 after a successful 12-year stint with the team, which resulted in six of his seven drivers' titles and seven constructors' championship wins.
In 2025, he moved to Ferrari ...
14 March 2026 11:17
Qualifying in China went anything but smoothly for George Russell after he suffered a front-wing breakage in Q2 and then briefly halted on track at Turn 5 during Q3. Russell had won the earlier sprint race from pole position but looked far less assured during what proved to be a fraught qualifying session.
Mercedes says it is still investigating the cause of the issue which caused Russell's car ...
14 March 2026 10:32
Max Verstappen lamented Red Bull's "undriveable" Formula 1 car as he suggested "every lap is like survival" after qualifying eighth for the Chinese Grand Prix.
Verstappen finished ninth in Saturday morning's sprint after a disastrous start dropped him down the order like a brick, and will be eighth on the grid after Red Bull was all at sea with its RB22.
The Milton Keynes squad prided itself ...
14 March 2026 09:44
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Kimi Antonelli(Mercedes)
2
George Russell(Mercedes)
3
Lewis Hamilton(Ferrari)
4
Charles ...
14 March 2026 09:29
1. Mercedes' gap is not insurmountable
It is said Melbourne was one of the most energy-starved circuits on the calendar, a statement which reeks of gaslighting as the problem lies with the cars themselves and not the circuits. In any case, Shanghai offering more severe braking zones and 'regen' opportunities might go some way towards explaining why Mercedes has been less dominant this ...
14 March 2026 09:16
Kimi Antonelli became Formula 1's youngest polesitter after setting the fastest time in qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix, as George Russell qualified second despite encountering a powertrain issue early in Q3.
While attempting to clinch back-to-back poles, Russell came to a stop on track and, while he was able to get the car going again, he was unable to change gear. The Briton thus had to ...
14 March 2026 09:05
After every F1 qualifying session, Motorsport publishes each team's qualifying record in terms of team-mate battles.
This record is based exclusively on qualifying results so that grid penalties don't alter the statistics.
When a driver can't put in a representative lap time due to a technical issue or an incident, this will be mentioned in the table.
McLaren
Oscar ...
14 March 2026 07:13
Isack Hadjar blasted Kimi Antonelli for their lap-one collision at the Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix sprint race, which cost the Red Bull driver his chances of a points finish.
The Frenchman finished 15th to continue a point-less start to his Red Bull tenure, after retiring from last weekend's 2026 season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
He did have a good start from 10th in Shanghai though as ...
14 March 2026 06:42
Heavy debate about Formula 1's starting procedures during Bahrain's pre-season tests led to the implementation of the pre-start routine for the 2026 season. While this has alleviated some of the more major concerns in getting off the line, many of the current teams are angling for further changes.
The deletion of the MGU-H from this year's powertrain rules has taken away one of the key tools ...
14 March 2026 06:31
Max Verstappen was left with very few words after failing to score points in the Chinese Grand Prix sprint race, which continued a frustrating start to the 2026 Formula 1 campaign.
The four-time world champion finished ninth in the shortened contest at Shanghai, 0.3s behind the final points scorer Oliver Bearman, with problems from start to finish.
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Formula 1F1 Chinese ...
14 March 2026 06:21
Jacques Villeneuve has claimed that Max Verstappen might not be in the right mental space as he becomes more and more frustrated with the Red Bull RB22.
The four-time champion had a disastrous start during the Chinese sprint race. After getting bogged down and suffering from wheelspin at the race start, Verstappen went from eighth on the grid to 13th.
"I have not a lot of words at the ...
14 March 2026 06:08
1997 Formula 1 champion Jacques Villeneuve has argued that Charles Leclerc was too aggressive with his Ferrari team-mate Lewis Hamilton during the Chinese sprint race.
Ferrari had another strong start in the sprint race, with Hamilton going from fourth to second before taking the lead on the second lap. The opening stages of the race saw an intense battle between Hamilton and his former ...
14 March 2026 05:51
Charles Leclerc has explained the “very scary moment” which cost him the chance of fighting leader George Russell at the end of the Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix sprint race.
The Ferrari driver finished second in the Shanghai sprint behind the championship leader, having started fourth but overtaken Lando Norris and team-mate Lewis Hamilton during it.
Leclerc then had Russell in his ...
14 March 2026 05:01
George Russell claimed victory in an eventful Formula 1 sprint race at the Chinese Grand Prix, despite losing the lead to Lewis Hamilton on the opening lap.
As seen in Melbourne, Russell found himself under immediate fire from a fast-starting Ferrari in the opening array of corners; this time, it was Hamilton rather than Charles Leclerc who played the role of aggressor at the start of the ...
14 March 2026 04:49
Action at the Shanghai International Circuit is only ramping up, following George Russell's victory in the first F1 sprint race of 2026.
Following an early duel between Russell and the two Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, a late safety car bunched the field up and packed a lot of action for three laps of the 19-lap sprint. Notably, Kimi Antonelli had battles up and down the ...
13 March 2026 23:42
Five years after his passing, Murray Walker still holds a permanent place in Formula 1’s collective memory. The Brit, who died on March 13, 2021, at the age of 97, was more than a commentator for generations of fans: he was the voice of the sport.
Walker built that reputation during a career that spanned decades. As early as 1948 he began working as a commentator at the Shelsley Walsh Hill ...
13 March 2026 23:02
Mercedes driver George Russell has explained the design of his Chinese Grand Prix helmet.
The Briton, who will start from pole position for the sprint race in Shanghai, took inspiration from the traditional blue-and-white teacups in his one-off design for the race weekend.
"I honestly think this is one of my coolest helmets, ever. It's the first time I'm seeing it, and it's come out even ...
13 March 2026 22:34
Former Formula 1 driver David Coulthard has urged fans to give the new regulations time before making up their minds about them.
The 2026 season welcomed a new wave of regulations into the championship, and so far, the changes have received a mixed reaction from drivers and fans.
While some have criticised the 'artificial' overtaking, superclipping and the amount the drivers have to manage ...
13 March 2026 20:51
Following talks at last weekend's Australian Grand Prix, F1 had set itself a 10-day deadline to make a final call on the fate of April's Bahrain and Saudi Grands Prix, a timeline largely dictated by freight logistics to the Gulf as the US and Israeli war on Iran continues to engulf the region.
The two Arabian races are twinned to optimise F1's complicated logistics, so it would be difficult to ...
13 March 2026 19:41
Mercedes has made light of the video of team chief and CEO Toto Wolff that went viral after the Australian Grand Prix.
Wolff was spotted scooting through the paddock at Albert Park, Melbourne. As he misjudged the height of an archway, he clipped his head, quickly styled it out and turned towards where he knew cameras would be pointing at him while he laughed it off.
The footage quickly went ...
13 March 2026 18:30
As Formula 1’s most experienced driver in history, Fernando Alonso has seen it all. Racing for a backmarking minnow at Minardi, championship success and Crashgate controversy at Renault, a deleterious team-mate rivalry at McLaren and unsuccessful title bids at Ferrari.
The veteran’s second stint at McLaren featured a disastrous rekindling of the team’s legendary partnership with Honda ...
13 March 2026 17:28
As is normal at the start of a technical rules cycle, one key aspect has to be taken into account: the new power units are incredibly complex and the strategies for using them are not straightforward. Experience is built over time, and even during a race weekend variables can emerge that change the overall picture and provide a different perspective.
That is also what happened to Charles ...
13 March 2026 17:00
Haas boss Ayao Komatsu called on Formula 1 to make a decision regarding its forthcoming Middle Eastern rounds within the next week amid the ongoing conflict.
Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are due to respectively host rounds four and five of the 2026 F1 campaign on 12 and 19 April, but that is currently in doubt due to the Iran war.
Iran has been engaged in conflict with the United States and ...
13 March 2026 15:30
For any other Formula 1 team, having both cars qualify over four seconds off pole position for the season opener would be shaming. But for Cadillac, simply being there at all was an achievement – as a team set up from scratch, and which only had its entry guaranteed 12 months ago, it has faced headwinds both political and practical.
Ultimately, though, Cadillac isn't on the grid to make up ...
13 March 2026 15:02
Lewis Hamilton was left baffled by a surprise message from former Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond during an event with Shell ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix weekend.
While standing on stage in front of a crowd of fans, the seven-time champion was shown the message from the Briton.
"Lewis, the folks at Shell Helix have asked me to send you a message, rather thoughtfully. Obviously, they'll ...
13 March 2026 14:30
A fuel pump issue prevented Sergio Perez from partaking in Chinese Grand Prix sprint qualifying, with the Cadillac driver lamenting a problem the nascent Formula 1 team has had for “far too long”.
Perez’ free practice running was hampered by a fuel system problem in Melbourne, with similar trouble taking team-mate Valtteri Bottas out of the Australian Grand Prix.
Perez covered just 13 ...
13 March 2026 13:56
In the aftermath of George Russell securing pole position for the sprint race in China by 0.289s from Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli, and a substantial 0.621s from third-placed Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has moved to quell talk of a schism with its customer teams.
After qualifying for last weekend’s Australian Grand Prix, when Mercedes finally showed its hand ...
13 March 2026 12:30
Ferrari’s ground-breaking Formula 1 rear wing, which rotates 180 degrees, returned at the Chinese Grand Prix – but the experiment was short-lived.
The wing, which was first seen in action during pre-season testing, was trialled by both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton in the only free practice session of the Shanghai weekend. This featured a spin from Hamilton, when the wing closed coming ...
13 March 2026 12:22
Former Formula 1 driver and Sky Sports Germany presenter Ralf Schumacher has argued that Red Bull is now paying the price for having lost several key people in recent years, as he questioned whether its sister team Racing Bulls had done a better job over the winter break.
The Milton Keynes outfit has seen a lot of change recently, with several key personnel leaving the team. Included among ...
13 March 2026 11:32
Mercedes' George Russell held an advantage of well over half a second to the next quickest Formula 1 team - the McLaren of Lando Norris - in sprint qualifying at the Chinese Grand Prix.
This continued the Silver Arrows' bright start to the 2026 season, following on from its 1-2 finish in the Melbourne season opener. Although it was understood before the season that Mercedes was likely to ...
13 March 2026 10:52
1997 Formula 1 champion Jacques Villeneuve shared his verdict on the new regulations of the series ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix.
The 2026 season welcomed a new wave of regulations to F1, which feature major changes, including a power unit with an almost 50:50 split between internal combustion and electric power, active aerodynamics, overtake mode, and smaller, lighter cars.
The ...
13 March 2026 10:27
Oscar Piastri labelled the Mercedes superiority as “pretty impressive” after the Silver Arrows secured yet another 1-2 in Formula 1 qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix sprint race.
Mercedes is the team that has nailed the switch to these all-new 2026 cars, as at last weekend’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix it secured a 1-2 in both qualifying and the race.
It continued such ...
13 March 2026 10:07
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen says his Friday has been a “disaster” at the Chinese Grand Prix, having qualified down in eighth for the Shanghai sprint race.
Read Also:
Formula 1F1 Chinese GP: George Russell takes sprint pole in Mercedes 1-2
The four-time world champion was already eighth in the only free practice session of the weekend, no less than 1.8s off the ...
13 March 2026 10:02
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George Russell(Mercedes)
2
Kimi Antonelli(Mercedes)
3
Lando Norris(McLaren)
4
Lewis ...
13 March 2026 09:59
Former Formula 1 driver and F1 TV pundit Jolyon Palmer claimed that Williams is emerging as one of the "biggest disappointments" of the 2026 F1 season.
The Grove outfit has had a difficult start to the new regulations. After missing private testing in Barcelona due to delays with the FW48, Williams entered pre-season testing in Bahrain already playing catch-up.
The season-opening ...
13 March 2026 09:52
Kimi Antonelli will not be punished for allegedly impeding Lando Norris during qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix sprint race as Formula 1 stewards deemed "no further action".
The Mercedes driver had just left the pitlane and was caught going slowly on the inside of Turn 1 causing Norris to back off, before reporting to his McLaren team that “I was going to push that lap” during ...
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