Chinese GP FP1 Report: George Russell Fastest as Mercedes Seal 1-2, Ferrari Debut ‘Macarena’ Wing

Mercedes continued their strong start to the 2026 Formula 1 season as George Russell topped the only Free Practice session at the Chinese Grand Prix on Friday.

Russell set a 1:32.741 at the Shanghai International Circuit to finish 0.120 seconds ahead of teammate Kimi Antonelli, giving Mercedes a one-two at the top of the timesheets.

Ferrari also attracted attention during the session as they debuted their much-talked-about rotating “Macarena” wing, first seen during Bahrain testing. While the upgrade showed promise in the early stages, the Scuderia ended the session fifth and sixth with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton respectively.

The session kicked off with a small moment between Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris at the final corner, where minor debris was sent flying after light contact. The incident was briefly noted by the stewards but no further investigation was pursued.

Hamilton later had another moment when he spun under braking into Turn 6, seemingly due to a braking issue on his Ferrari SF-26. The spin resulted in four flat-spotted tyres, forcing him to adjust his programme early in the session.

Around goes Lewis Hamilton! 🤯

A sizeable spin for the Ferrari early-on in FP1, heading into the run-off area at Turn 6 👇#F1 #ChineseGP pic.twitter.com/9WT1sAuiKy

— Formula 1 (@F1) March 13, 2026

At that stage, Antonelli initially led the session with a 1:35.094, ahead of Leclerc and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri. Russell soon responded, however, reclaiming the top spot with a 1:35.065 after the session briefly ran under a Virtual Safety Car.

The VSC was triggered when rookie Arvid Lindblad’s Racing Bulls stopped at the hairpin, forcing the driver to climb out of the car.

Elsewhere, Max Verstappen endured a messy session, suffering a large slide through Turn 12 and later moving a bit into the gravel at final corner.

Also Read: Chinese GP 2026: Why Shanghai is a Weekend Lewis Hamilton Can’t Forget — What Happened Last Year?

McLaren Shows Pace Mid-Session

As the session progressed, the McLarens began to show stronger pace. Oscar Piastri briefly moved into the top three with a 1:34.550 despite dipping a wheel into the gravel at the final corner, while Lando Norris climbed into the top five after recovering from an early lock-up through Turns 1 and 2.

Hamilton also steadily improved during the middle part of the session, climbing to P5 with a 1:34.377, closing within two-tenths of Russell’s benchmark time.

The final part of FP1 saw teams switch to soft tyres, and Russell immediately delivered a blistering lap.

His first push lap produced a 1:32.807, over a second quicker than his earlier effort. Antonelli followed with a 1:32.963 to secure second place, completing a dominant Mercedes showing.

Leclerc’s first flying lap on soft tyres moved him up to third with a 1:33.599, while Norris improved to fourth with a 1:33.700.

Hamilton’s best effort came after several laps on the same soft tyre set due to his earlier flat-spot, which partly explained his deficit to the front-runners.

Practice in China is complete ✅

The Top Three is IN, and Mercedes lead the way with the McLaren of Lando Norris in P3! 👇#F1 #ChineseGP pic.twitter.com/VWUV9unv8a

— Formula 1 (@F1) March 13, 2026

The closing minutes saw Verstappen climb only to seventh, nearly two seconds behind Russell, while Leclerc narrowly avoided disaster after sliding through the gravel at the final corner.

When the chequered flag fell, Mercedes stood comfortably ahead, with Russell leading Antonelli to cap off a dominant FP1 performance in Shanghai ahead of the McLarens.

F1 Chinese Grand Prix 2026 FP1 Result: