00:00First sprint in 2026, lights out, away we go, Hamilton gets away brilliantly, George Russell leads from Lando Norris, Hamilton's
00:09coming at them, Russell into the first corner, Hamilton just behind Lando Norris, and then we see the tussle between
00:16Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri running wide for the McLaren, it was a brilliant start by Hamilton, he's up into
00:23second place now, ahead of Lando Norris, through the third corner, come the rest of the field, Alex Albon,
00:29right behind, second place to seventh, the poor old Kimi Antonelli there, a terrible getaway, and he got a bad
00:36getaway, didn't he, in Australia, and now he's made contact with Isaac Hadjar, bits of bodywork come flying off, this
00:43has been a disastrous start for him, Charles Leclerc ahead of Oscar Piastri, both Ferrari starting well, and now Lewis
00:49Hamilton putting pressure on his old teammate George Russell, Lewis Hamilton leads the sprint, what an opportune move that was,
00:56I don't think George Russell was expecting it, you're right, it's not commonplace to overtake there, but it was superb
01:02lock up at the rear of the field, and spun round, Arvin Lindblad, Lance Stroll had to take avoiding action
01:08there,
01:09the racing bulls continuing the spin round, down the straight, what has George Russell got to try and challenge Lewis
01:15Hamilton, it was strong in this final sector in qualifying,
01:17he retakes the lead of the Shanghai sprint, can Hamilton switch back, and maybe use a bit of boost and
01:24energy to get Russell by the final corner, no, George Russell's safe, for the time being, in first place, and
01:31he ends lap one, where he started lap one,
01:33but he's had work to do to maintain that lead, Russell from Hamilton, from Charles Leclerc, and now Hamilton into
01:40turn one, the crowd are going wild and loving this, as the lead swaps around again,
01:45we're on board with Hamilton, here comes George Russell, he's using that battery power, he's blasting past the Ferrari, and
01:51back into the lead of the race,
01:53but what has that done, to his state of charge, and his battery, and has Hamilton now, got more energy,
01:58to try and get George Russell back, maybe in the turn one once again,
02:02and Leclerc chase after the Mercedes, Hamilton's gaining, Hamilton's gaining, is he using overtake, he's using all those years of
02:10experience, to try and get back into the lead, Russell will hang this out, has the inside line here, but
02:16Hamilton closes the door,
02:17and the lead swaps around again, now, Antonelli, almost shoving the McLaren out of the way, if he can, and
02:24on the inside of the final corner,
02:26getting that move done, now, that was really neat, because he had the pace, over Oscar Piastri, as Russell, challenging
02:32Hamilton, through turn one,
02:34Hamilton's got that inside line, and stays ahead once more, can Russell, try and make a dart down the inside
02:41here, at turn three, no, he can't,
02:42Let's have a look at the start once again, and Russell was pointing a bit to the right, Antonelli got
02:47bogged down, Hamilton makes a great start, Max Verstappen just gets bogged down as well,
02:51and into the first corner, Russell, at that moment, has the advantage, there's Norris running wide,
02:57and then I'm keeping an eye on Antonelli, in seventh place as it was back then, and I just want
03:02to see what happened down in towards turn six,
03:05Well, they file through there, Alex Albon playing catch-up from the pit lane, Hamilton, brilliant getaway,
03:11Absolutely, I mean, flattered, obviously, by the very slow start in Kimi Antonelli, but, you have to say,
03:18the two in front of him, Norris and Russell, almost equally as good,
03:24Now, this was Max Verstappen's start,
03:26Just bogged down, the revs just completely died down,
03:29And now George Russell on the inside of the hairpin, trying to get past Lewis Hamilton,
03:33Charles Leclerc getting interested in this one as well, Russell's back in the lead of this race, lap five,
03:40another new sprint leader, as Russell and Hamilton trading places here in Shanghai,
03:45That was a part of their pre-race strategy, ah, here's the move I wanted to see,
03:50which is Antonelli, oh, ah, yeah, he just locked up,
03:53And that was nothing that Hadjar could really do there,
03:55And he's got a ten-second time penalty for his troubles, he's, wait, what, two, three-tenths a lap?
04:01Oh, Lewis, I think, is struggling, copy?
04:05He is, and I think Charles is going to have a go here, Crofty,
04:09...and Isaac Hadjar, who's currently in the final points position,
04:12as here comes Charles Leclerc into turn one, past Lewis Hamilton,
04:17and now up into second place, oh, they nearly touched the Ferraris,
04:21as Hamilton just went out wide,
04:22Yeah, and Leclerc did that intentionally,
04:24he knew that Lewis was going to try and hang it around the outside, so he...
04:27Isaac Hadjar in the second Red Bull,
04:28which Liam Lawson was driving here last year in his final race for the team,
04:32Liam, at Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, has got the switch back on Charles Leclerc,
04:36he forced him out a little bit wide,
04:38two Ferraris go wheel-to-wheel over the curb, goes Charles Leclerc,
04:41somehow they managed to avoid each other,
04:43and we're on board now,
04:44with the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc stays ahead of Lewis Hamilton,
04:49but Hamilton, can he come back at the hairpin? No, door slammed well and truly shut in his face there.
04:55The most experienced driver on the grid,
04:58Kimi Antonelli, 18 years and 201 days old.
05:01Does he know how wide all these cars are?
05:03Ben, he can complain about,
05:05well,
05:06turn three, that's okay.
05:08There's an attack mechanism,
05:09and you're trying to second-guess what you're doing.
05:12It's okay,
05:12so Kimi's used it as an attack.
05:15And into the corner he goes,
05:16he's got the inside line,
05:17he's got the move,
05:18but can Hamilton get back?
05:20Has he got energy to do it?
05:21Exactly,
05:22which he will have,
05:23because we know they started through Turn 12 evenly.
05:26But he might not have the grip out of Turn 14
05:29to try and get that acceleration that he needs.
05:33We've got a problem on track.
05:35It's Nico Hülkenberg who stopped.
05:37Now,
05:37is this that safety car window
05:39that Bernie Collins was talking about
05:41where the McLaren's could get in
05:43and maybe make a pit stop?
05:46Kimi Antonelli now on Charles Leclerc.
05:48Kimi Antonelli down towards the hairpin.
05:50Is this Mercedes 1-2?
05:52It is,
05:53and he's done it just before we get the safety car.
05:57George Russell rounds the final corner
05:59and Antonelli slows down
06:02and so will the rest.
06:03Double stacking here,
06:05but they had enough time between the two cars,
06:07luckily,
06:08and that was a really important pass,
06:10wasn't it,
06:10for Antonelli to get that done,
06:11as you pointed out,
06:12before they came into that safety car.
06:14Hamilton's lost time here
06:16because they were double stacking at Ferrari
06:18and he's been passed in the pit lane.
06:20Ted Kravitz by Lando Norris.
06:22So now there's a fight
06:23between Kimi Antonelli
06:24and Oscar Piastri.
06:26Antonelli still ahead of Piastri,
06:27but even on a good day,
06:29Ferrari seemingly get it wrong
06:30with the strategy.
06:31Lewis lost so much time
06:32just waiting behind Leclerc.
06:34More than a 10-second gap,
06:36or could he open up a decent enough gap
06:38to still be in a point?
06:39That's Verstappen
06:40going into turn one.
06:42Well, two into one corner.
06:45And I don't think the two he was fighting with
06:46expected him to do that,
06:48as Hajar had...
06:49Big lock-up.
06:50That's a big lock-up
06:51for Max Verstappen
06:52on the inside.
06:55Isaac Hajar
06:56thinking,
06:56right,
06:57OK, Max,
06:57I'm just going to hang this out,
06:59let you go.
06:59That's not what I expected you to be doing.
07:01I already saw one car
07:02do that to me earlier on
07:03and got hit because of it,
07:05and that's why we saw
07:06that repass
07:08from Verstappen
07:09around the outside
07:09of his teammate
07:10through turn seven.
07:11If they served the penalty
07:13right at the end of the race,
07:14instead,
07:15then you'd be
07:16dropping right to the back.
07:17Oh, look at that.
07:18That was too close
07:19for comfort
07:20for Carlos Sainz
07:21and Ocon.
07:22Just weaving around,
07:23trying to warm his tyres up.
07:25He's about to crash
07:25in my back all the time,
07:26that guy.
07:27Understood.
07:28On a double yellow as well.
07:31What happened
07:32in the last corner
07:35was that wheel spin
07:36the following
07:36with the gearbox.
07:37Looking into it.
07:41So,
07:42all not well,
07:43potentially,
07:44with Charles Leclerc.
07:45He's going to win
07:46this sprint race
07:46because it is all
07:47up for grabs
07:48now.
07:50Oh,
07:50Charles Leclerc,
07:51big wheel spin
07:52yet again.
07:53That has given
07:54George Russell
07:55a massive advantage
07:56here,
07:56that wheel spin
07:57and has put
07:58Charles Leclerc
07:59on the back foot
08:00as there goes
08:01the green flag
08:02waving for the drivers
08:03and away we go racing.
08:05Leclerc second,
08:06Norris third,
08:06then Hamilton.
08:07Hamilton under pressure
08:08a little bit
08:08from Liam Lawson
08:10going into the first turn
08:11and the Ferraris
08:12didn't start
08:12the restart
08:13as well as they started
08:14the actual start.
08:16Hamilton has just crossed
08:18behind Lando Norris,
08:19pulls out
08:20to the left-hand side,
08:21Hamilton back up
08:22into third place.
08:25Here's a battle.
08:26Down he inside
08:27goes Esteban Ocon
08:28forces Pierre Gasly
08:30wide.
08:31Max Verstappen
08:31says,
08:32yeah,
08:32cheers.
08:32I'll have some of that
08:33and takes the place
08:34of Pierre Gasly
08:35and almost takes
08:36the place
08:36of Esteban Ocon.
08:37He had a think
08:38about that one
08:38didn't he,
08:39down the inside
08:39of the final corner
08:40but yeah,
08:41great move
08:41by Ocon
08:42down the inside
08:43of his old
08:44sparring partner
08:45Pierre Gasly
08:46and now Verstappen
08:47round the outside
08:48easily of the Haas
08:49driver.
08:50One more Haas
08:51driver to go
08:52and Max Verstappen
08:52could yet claim
08:53a point here.
08:54Shanghai Sprint
08:55on a Saturday
08:56morning.
08:57George Russell
08:57won in Melbourne
08:59the opening Grand
08:59Prix of the season.
09:00He's won the opening
09:01sprint race
09:02of the season too.
09:03Russell wins
09:04here in Shanghai.
09:05It's Mercedes,
09:06Ferrari, Ferrari
09:08as Leclerc
09:09and Hamilton
09:09cross the line
09:10second and third.
09:11Lando Norris
09:12fourth.
09:13This battle
09:13is still going on
09:14behind.
09:14Liam Lawson
09:15will make it
09:16to the line
09:17just ahead
09:17of Oli Behrman
09:19who claims
09:19the final points
09:20place and
09:21finished four tenths
09:22ahead of Max Verstappen.
09:25Excellent work today.
09:27Good job.
09:29Nice in the beginning.
09:30Lewis did a very good job
09:31at those early laps
09:32his birthday.
09:33Yeah, he felt
09:34like he had the tyres
09:35well under control.
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