F1 2026 Chinese Grand Prix starting grid with LATE penalties applied

The F1 starting grid for the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix has been set following Saturday's qualifying at the Shanghai International Circuit.

After Toto Wolff's F1 driver duo locked out the front row of last weekend's season-opening event, Kimi Antonelli made history by becoming the youngest grand prix polesitter in the history of the sport at 19 years of age.

The Italian teenager benefitted from an electrical issue that saw his team-mate George Russell temporarily stop on track in Saturday's qualifying session, but still managed to hold on to pole position after Russell had just one flying lap to salvage a strong starting position.

And that single lap was enough for Russell to line up alongside Antonelli on Sunday in Shanghai, with the Ferrari driver duo completing the second row, set to squabble throughout the full-length grand prix if the events of Saturday's sprint are anything to go by.

Ahead of lights out on Sunday, it was confirmed that Williams star Alex Albon would start from the pitlane due to a parc ferme breach.

The setup of his Williams suspension was changed during parc ferme conditions, which was a breach of Article B3.5.7 of the regulations.

Lando Norris also suffered late gremlins, with an electronical problem meaning he couldn't get to the grid in time. The world champion will start from the pitlane, providing his McLaren can be fixed in time.

The drama continued to unfold, with the second McLaren of Oscar Piastri being wheeled back to the pitlane. Audi's Gabriel Bortoleto was also taken off the grid and back to the pitlane, unable to start the race and out before lights out. A total of four cars were missing from the grid.

Here is the starting grid for Sunday's full-length 2026 Chinese Grand Prix with the late penalty applied.

SPRINT RACE RESULTS: Hamilton survives safety car chaos for Chinese GP podium

F1 Starting Grid - Chinese Grand Prix

F1 Race times - Chinese Grand Prix

Lights out in Shanghai is today (Sunday, March 15, 2026), at 15:00 local time (CST) at the Shanghai International Circuit.

Find the race start time converted to your local time zone below:

Chinese Grand Prix 2026 Session Times

Race - Sunday, March 15, 2026

How to watch the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix live on TV today

Broadcast details vary depending on your location. Check below to see how to tune in for some major countries:

Where to watch: F1 2026 broadcasters by region

* F1 fans in the US can access a seven-day free trial to the coverage on Apple TV, which now has rights instead of ESPN from 2026 onwards.

F1TV Pro also carries coverage of the sport, depending on which territory you are in.

READ MORE: FIA announce Mercedes penalty verdict after Chinese Grand Prix incident

Written by

Kerry Violet - F1 News Editor

Having graduated from the University of Sheffield with a 2:1 in Journalism in 2022, Kerry continued her pursuit of finding a full-time position in motorsport through work with the F1 Arcade in London, where she got to meet true fans of the sport and make a live grand prix watch party memorable for them. It was here that she confirmed her dream of combining her background in journalism and love of motorsport, going on to volunteer with the female-led platform Empoword Journalism. Having completed stints as a screen editor and sports editor, Kerry landed her first F1-specific editorial role with GPFans and has thoroughly enjoyed continuing to work closely with the sport ever since. The access GPFans offers Kerry has allowed her to interview big names such as Naomi Schiff and David Coulthard and given her experiences she could only have dreamt of as a young F1 fan.

View full biography

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