F1 2026 Chinese Grand Prix Sprint Race starting grid with penalties applied

The first F1 Sprint race of the 2026 season takes place on Saturday (March 14) at the Chinese Grand Prix and the grid and starting order has now been officially confirmed by the FIA.

Grid position is more vital than ever in the bite-sized Saturday races, with no pit strategy to use and precious little time to wear down the car in front of you and get past.

George Russell will, predictably, be starting from pole position, with team-mate Kimi Antonelli right next to him on the front row after being spared a grid penalty following a stewards' enquiry into a potential impeding incident.

Max Verstappen will start all the way down in eighth behind the Alpine of Pierre Gasly after a dreadful session, with team-mate Isack Hadjar directly behind him on the grid in tenth place.

After Ferrari were the clear closest challenger to Mercedes last weekend, McLaren have come roaring back into things, with papaya cars third and fifth, split by Lewis Hamilton, with Charles Leclerc right behind in sixth.

Want to check out exactly where your favourite driver stacks up? The starting grid below has been officially confirmed by the FIA!

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Chinese Grand Prix Sprint race starting grid

*Alex Albon starts the race from the pit-lane after changes were made to his suspension under parc ferme conditions.

How do F1 sprint races work?

Naturally, given the name, they are much shorter than actual Grands Prix, and the Chinese Grand Prix Sprint will cover just 19 laps on Saturday March 14.

The other key factor is that only the top eight finishers score points - with the winner taking 8 and so on back down to a solitary point for the eighth-place finishers.

When is the Chinese GP Sprint Race?

The race starts at 3am UK time on Saturday March 14, which is 4am CET. If you are watching in the US then it is an 11pm EST start or 8pm PST.

How to watch the race live and FREE

Sky Sports F1 (pay TV channel) will again have the call in the UK, but if you are watching from the US you can access coverage for free via a seven-day trial from new rights holder Apple TV.

Who is the current F1 world champion?

Lando Norris is the reigning F1 champion, and won his first drivers' championship last year.

READ MORE: F1 on Apple TV: 2026 Presenter lineup and how to watch the Chinese Grand Prix FREE

Written by

Chris Deeley - Editor

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