The incredible F1 record Michael Schumacher STILL holds at the Chinese Grand Prix

Michael Schumacher celebrates winning the 1998 Argentine Grand Prix with a fist pump — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 Legends

The incredible F1 record Michael Schumacher STILL holds at the Chinese Grand Prix

Michael Schumacher is one of the most successful F1 drivers of all time

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Thursday 12 March 2026 15:13

F1 legend Michael Schumacher is still in possession of an all-time record at the Chinese Grand Prix, ahead of this year's event.

The second round of the 2026 F1 season takes place at the Shanghai International Circuit this weekend, for the Chinese Grand Prix, the first of six sprint weekends this season.

It is the site of so far Lewis Hamilton's only triumph as a Ferrari driver, when he claimed victory at last year's sprint race, and he is a six-time winner of the grand prix in China.

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But it's another seven-time world champion in Schumacher whose record set in 2004 at the track still stands.

Schumacher is undoubtedly one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time, having claimed a joint record seven championships during his career, and sitting second behind Hamilton on the all-time lists of grand prix wins, podiums and pole positions.

And the German F1 legend also made an impression immediately in China at the inaugural Chinese Grand Prix in 2004. Schumacher set the fastest lap of the race with a 1:32.238, and that still remains the fastest lap ever recorded during a race at the Shanghai International Circuit.

It's a staggering statistic, and one that the current drivers will have to go flat out on Sunday in order to get anywhere near, and with the incentive of a word championship point for the fastest lap of the race now gone, it's arguably even less likely that it will be beaten this weekend.

The race itself actually saw Schumacher only finish down in 12th place, although he had already wrapped up a seventh world title by that stage of the 2004 season.

When is the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix?

We don't have to wait long to see whether Schumacher's 2004 race lap time will be beaten, and indeed to see whether Hamilton can claim a seventh race victory in China, this time with Schumacher's old Ferrari team.

The second race weekend of the 2026 season gets underway on Friday, March 13 at 3:30am GMT (11:30am local time), with FP1 being followed by sprint qualifying on that day, as part of an extended weekend that features two races.

It's the first sprint race weekend of the season, with the sprint race which was won by Hamilton last year having a lights out time of 3am GMT (11am local time) on Saturday, March 14.

The second grand prix of the season then follows on Sunday, March 15, with lights out at a more reasonable time for UK viewers of 7am (3pm local time).

F1 Ferrari Chinese Grand Prix Michael Schumacher