Mercedes kicked off their Chinese GP weekend with a front grid lockout ahead of the first Sprint race of 2026 as George Russell took pole. Russell's time of a 1:31.520 was 0.289 seconds quicker than teammate Kimi Antonelli, who himself was over three tenths ahead of third place Lando Norris. Despite displaying hope in Melbourne, Ferrari were only able to manage P4 with Lewis Hamilton and P6 with Charles Leclerc, who was a full second off the pace. Further back, it was a torri

After an action-packed Australian Grand Prix opened up the new era of Formula One, this weekend F1 circus head to the Shanghai International Circuit for the 19th Chinese Grand Prix. ​ What happened last time out? ​ George Russell took pole position in Melbourne ahead of his Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli, and those two would convert it to a 1-2 finish on Sunday. It wasn’t without immense pressure from the Ferraris, in particular Charles Leclerc, who swapped with Russell for

George Russell and Mercedes kicked off a new era for F1 in dominant fashion, but who else stood out on a fascinating opening weekend? ShefF1 rate all 22 drivers from the 2026 Australian GP. McLaren Lando Norris - 7/10 Donning the number 1 on his car, defending World Champion Lando Norris kicked off his reign with a solid qualifying, accompanied by a solid race. The Brit was plagues with issues across the crucial practice sessions, which put him on the back foot compared to hi

George Russell began the 2026 F1 season in perfect fashion. He won from pole position ahead of his teammate Kimi Antonelli. The Ferrari of Charles Leclerc completed the podium, finishing just six tenths ahead of his teammate Lewis Hamilton. It was the first Mercedes 1-2 in the opening race since Valtteri Bottas blew Hamilton out of the water to win at Albert Park in 2019. Here is everything that happened: Oscar Piastri’s pre-race heartbreak Home hero Oscar Piastri was due to

A new-era begins for Formula One Racing, new cars, new drivers, new teams, and even a new track, and it begins down-under at Albert Park in Melbourne, Australia. Having won his maiden World Championship at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, McLaren’s Lando Norris comes into this season with a massive weight off his shoulders now that he has won the most coveted prize in motorsport. Can the British driver be the first McLaren driver to win back-to-back championships since Mika Häkkinen

Aston Martin's new Team Principal, Adrian Newey, has revealed that the team's drivers are at risk of 'permanent nerve damage' if they drive the AMR26 for too long. Commenting on the eve of the 2026 season opener, Newey explained how the team's new Honda engine is causing vibration into the chassis. Newey said: "Mirrors falling off, tail lights falling off - all that sort of thing, which we are having to address. "But the much more significant problem is that the vibration is

Amy Hamerslagh and Sebastian Alston made their predictions ahead of a potentially blockbuster 2026 F1 season. With new engines, new chassis, new teams and even a new race, 2026 looks to be one of the most unpredictable seasons in decades... but we have still given it a go. Drivers Champion Amy - Charles Leclerc Seb - George Russell Constructors Champion Amy - Ferrari Seb - Mercedes Driver of the Year Amy - Kimi Antonelli Seb - Ollie Bearman Biggest Flop Amy - Ollie Bearman Se

F1's 35th World Champion Lando Norris donned a gold edition of his iconic helmet as drivers completed post season testing in Abu Dhabi. All ten teams were on track on Tuesday for both a Pirelli tyre test and Young Driver Test, in order to give both the teams and Pirelli vital data ahead of a huge regulation change in 2026. For the tyre test, 'mule cars' were ran which are slightly modified versions of the 2025 cars in order to somewhat replicate the new cars for 2026. Despite

Lando Norris secured his first-ever World Drivers Championship by finishing on the podium at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The McLaren driver came into the “decider in the desert” knowing that all he needed to do was finish 3rd or better to claim that maiden crown. How the race unfolded Compared to the tension built up by this decisive final showing, the Abu Dhabi GP was fairly uneventful. Max Verstappen put his Red Bull on pole, as he looked to complete the biggest

Amy Hamerslagh is joined by Sebastian Alston to review the 2025 Abu Dhabi GP that saw Britain's Lando Norris crowned World Champion. You can watch the full podcast above or on the ShefF1 YouTube channel.