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Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies has issued an apology to Max Verstappen following a sprint qualifying performance for the Chinese Grand Prix labelled by the four-time F1 champion as "a disaster".

Verstappen finished a staggering 1.7s off the pace of pole-sitter George Russell in his Mercedes as Red Bull struggled for pace and performance at the faster Shanghai International Circuit compared to Melbourne's Albert Park last week in Australia.

2026 F1 Chinese Grand Prix - Sprint Qualifying results

George Russell roared to a first-ever Sprint pole position with a dominant performance at the Chinese Grand Prix.

The Mercedes driver, who has topped every segment of the weekend thus far, posted a 1:31.520 on his first run in SQ3, 0.360s faster than team-mate Kimi Antonelli, with Lewis Hamilton third.

Ferrari turn to extreme measures with 3D-printed upgrade

Ferrari's upgrade package for the Chinese Grand Prix involved more than just the much-discussed 'Macarena' rear wing.

The Scuderia's decision to avoid using the component during Sprint Qualifying requires context, as this was not a rejection of the solution itself.

Lando Norris spies 'good opportunity' to end Mercedes' F1 hot streak

Lando Norris has cast his mind to overthrowing Mercedes at the start of the Shanghai sprint race as he admitted the starting procedure is a “good opportunity” to beat the team.

Mercedes locked out the front row for Saturday's shorter race with George Russell slotting in ahead of team-mate Kimi Antonelli.

The $750m F1 deal: Who will win the day as Mercedes talks confirmed?

Flavio Briatore has confirmed Mercedes is one of the interested parties looking to buy a 24% stake in F1 rival Alpine.

Early in the week, it was suggested that Mercedes and team principal Toto Wolff were interested in making a bid for the shares owned by a group of private investors, spearheaded by American private investment firm Otro Capital.

Lewis Hamilton puzzled by Ferrari decision over 'Macarena' rear wing

Lewis Hamilton has explained his puzzlement at Ferrari's decision to remove its 'Macarena' rear wing ahead of Chinese Grand Prix Sprint qualifying.

The rear wing, which opens and closes by rotating 270 degrees, was first unveiled during Bahrain pre-season testing, but was not on either Ferrari car at the Australian Grand Prix.

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