George Russell revealed he enjoyed his battle with Lewis Hamilton but was “caught off guard” by Ferrari’s pace during the 2026 Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix Sprint Race.
Russell extended his lead in the drivers’ championship after securing his first Sprint Race win since Sao Paulo 2022, at the Shanghai International Circuit.
And while Mercedes still seem to have the fastest overall package with the W17, the race was far from straightforward for the Briton.
Hamilton, who started from fourth, propelled himself into contention for the lead at the start.
What ensued was an intense battle for the race lead, with the former Mercedes team-mates trading blows until Russell eventually eked out an advantage.
Reflecting back, Russell admitted getting “caught off guard” by the seven-time World Champion, but insisted he enjoyed his battles with the 41-year-old nonetheless.
“It was pretty fun in the end, so there was a lot of strategy at play, and how you do the overtaking is not easy,” he told media including Motorsport Week.
“I hope it was a fun race to watch. Usually, the Sprint races are pretty boring, but I got everything under control with the safety car and was happy to get the win.
“It was really windy, and it was not easy because the first corner is so long, and it only takes one lap of pushing too much, and you can destroy your front-left tyre.
“So it was about managing, and especially when we were battling. Lewis did an amazing job in the early laps. He caught me off guard, but he has 20 years of experience.
“I hope we can bring more, and Ferrari seemed to be off in qualifying, but really close to us in race pace, so ultimately we need to find a bit of an improvement for the race.”
Russell will once again need to be aware of the Ferraris on race day, if the scarlet cars prove to be close by on the grid, and be prepared for another onslaught.
READ MORE – George Russell sees off Lewis Hamilton in F1 Chinese GP Sprint thriller
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