George Russell eases to pole position for sprint race in China

George Russell carried over his winning momentum from Australia to land a crushing pole position for Saturday’s sprint race at the Chinese Grand Prix.

Russell laid down a championship marker to win Formula One’s season-opening race and he now looks set to dominate the second round in Shanghai.

The British driver finished 0.289 seconds clear of team-mate Kimi Antonelli as Mercedes ominously locked out the front row for Saturday’s 19-lap dash to the chequered flag.

Behind the all-conquering Silver Arrows will be world champion Lando Norris, albeit 0.621 seconds slower than Russell.

Lewis Hamilton won the sprint race for Ferrari a year ago – the sole highlight of a bitterly disappointing first season in red – and he will at least be in the mix again after qualifying fourth.

Hamilton will be the meat in a McLaren sandwich with Oscar Piastri fifth on the grid. Charles Leclerc lines up in sixth, a full second off the pace, with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly an impressive seventh.

Max Verstappen has already expressed his deep disdain for the new regulations and his latest display is unlikely to allay those negative thoughts. He finished eighth here, an eye-watering 1.7 seconds down.

Mercedes appear unstoppable in this new era and a week on from blowing away the opposition Down Under, their advantage looks as great, if not greater here.

It is a sobering thought for their dumbstruck rivals, with Russell also showing no signs of the pressure that is associated with being the favourite for the title.

Leclerc leapfrogged Russell at the start in Melbourne last week in his fast-starting Ferrari. However, Russell, who is well-liked in these parts and received a rockstar reception when he departed his Mercedes rocket ship, said: “It has been surreal seeing so many blue caps and so much support in the grandstands.

“Since Melbourne, everything we have been working on is how to get off the line better. The opening laps in Melbourne were dicier but we will find out in the morning.”

Verstappen recovered from 20th to sixth in Melbourne but his Red Bull team are no match for Mercedes.

“Can you double-check the driveability,” said Verstappen over the radio. “It is horrendous.” On the way back to the pits, he added: “This is undriveable. We have never had anything this bad.”

Williams drivers Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon failed to make it out of Q3 in a fresh blow to the British team.

After missing the first test at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya because their new car was not ready, Williams headed into the campaign on the back foot and, after a poor performance a week ago, Sainz and Albon will line up ahead of only the Aston Martin duo of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll and Cadillac’s Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez.

Mexican Perez did not even enter qualifying after he suffered a fuel failure. Ollie Bearman starts ninth following a strong showing by the British driver.