F1 Standings 2026: Lewis Hamilton is back as Verstappen melts down at Chinese Grand Prix

Laughing Lewis Hamilton and annoyed Max Verstappen edited onto a background of the Shanghai International Circuit — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 2026 Standings

F1 Standings 2026: Lewis Hamilton is back as Verstappen melts down

How the 2026 F1 Standings look after Saturday's sprint in China

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Sunday 15 March 2026 06:55

The first F1 sprint race of the 2026 season took place in Shanghai on Saturday. Here are the official standings heading into the Chinese Grand Prix.

While it was George Russell who romped to victory on the road, Lewis Hamilton made a top three appearance during the sprint race and looks ready to end his podium drought on Sunday.

The seven-time champion qualified third and ahead of team-mate Charles Leclerc for Sunday's grand prix, while Kimi Antonelli took pole position ahead of Russell.

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Meanwhile, Max Verstappen's horror start to the 2026 season continued and was unable to score a single point in the sprint, only managing a grid slot of eighth for the main race.

In the standings, Russell still leads ahead of Antonelli but the Ferrari of Leclerc has caught up with the young Italian on equal points after a penalty for the teenager in the sprint.

Antonelli received a 10-second time penalty for a first-lap incident with Isack Hadjar, falling from second to seventh after a terrible start for the Mercedes star.

Here are the official standings after the sprint race in China and heading into the grand prix on Sunday.

F1 Drivers' Standings after 2026 Chinese Grand Prix Sprint

Position	Driver	Team	Points
1	George Russell	Mercedes	33
2	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	22
3	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	22
4	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	18
5	Lando Norris	McLaren	15
6	Max Verstappen	Red Bull	8
7	Ollie Bearman	Haas	7
8	Arvid Lindblad	Racing Bulls	4
9	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	3
10	Gabriel Bortoleto	Audi	2
11	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	2
12	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	1
13	Esteban Ocon	Haas	0
14	Alex Albon	Wiliams	0
15	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	0
16	Carlos Sainz	Williams	0
17	Sergio Perez	Cadillac	0
18	Isack Hadjar	Red Bull	0
19	Nico Hulkenberg	Audi	0
20	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	0
21	Valtteri Bottas	Cadillac	0
22	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	0

F1 Constructors' Standings after 2026 Chinese Grand Prix Sprint

Position	Team	Points
1	Mercedes	55
2	Ferrari	40
3	McLaren	18
4	Red Bull	8
5	Haas	7
6	Racing Bulls	6
7	Audi	2
8	Alpine	1
9	Williams	0
10	Cadillac	0
11	Aston Martin	0

Written by

Sheona Mountford - F1 Journalist

Sheona Mountford is a motorsport journalist specialising in F1. As a writer and contributor, she covers a wide range of motorsport series from F1 to F1 Academy, responsible for breaking news, live race coverage and in depth analysis of the sport and the culture around it.

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Max Verstappen Lewis Hamilton Chinese Grand Prix Shanghai International Circuit