Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix

The second race of the season takes place in China at the Shanghai International Circuit, located in the suburbs of China’s largest city. The circuit features a combination of long straights (which is typical for a Hermann Tilke design) and a few extremely technical corners. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the F1 race in Shanghai was absent from the calendar since 2020, but it finally returned in 2024. This led to Max Verstappen securing his first victory at the circuit.

The Shanghai International Circuit is a track that rewards a strong all-round car. With long straights, tight corners and high-speed combinations, the layout presents several challenges. Drivers who navigate the technical second sector well can set up an overtaking move into the sector three hairpin, which follows the circuit’s long back straight.The Hermann Tilke-designed circuit has been on the calendar since 2004. The fastest race lap set that year by Michael Schumacher in his Ferrari still stands. In 2018, Sebastian Vettel went more than a second quicker than the seven-time world champion’s time, but that lap came in qualifying. Schumacher’s 1:32.238 has never been beaten during a race.

Media sessions and press conferences at the Shanghai International Circuit are scheduled for March 12. The first Formula 1 track action takes place on Friday, March 13, with one free practice session and sprint qualifying.The sprint race and qualifying for the Grand Prix will take place on March 14. The Chinese Grand Prix itself is scheduled for Sunday, March 15, 2026.

The Chinese Grand Prix can be followed live in GPblog’s live blog starting one hour before the race. Like all other Grands Prix, the race will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1 and F1TV Pro, along with qualifying, sprint qualifying, the sprint race and free practice.

Free Practice: Friday 13 March 03:30 – 04:30 GMT

Sprint Qualifying: Friday 13 March 07:30 – 08:14 GMT

Sprint Race: Saturday 14 March 03:00 – 04:00 GMT

Qualifying: Saturday 14 March 07:00 – 08:00 GMT

Race: Sunday 15 March 07:00 – 09:00 GMT

The Chinese Grand Prix is the second race on the 2026 Formula 1 calendar. The event takes place the weekend immediately after the Australian Grand Prix and is followed two weeks later by the Japanese Grand Prix.

In 2025, Max Verstappen was unable to fight for victory in China, something he managed to do the year before with Red Bull Racing. Lewis Hamilton surprisingly won the sprint race from pole position on Saturday, but Ferrari struggled to challenge during qualifying and the Grand Prix.