Polesitter Oscar Piastri held onto his advantage at the front of the grid despite a strong start from Mercedes' George Russell at the Chinese Grand Prix.
The Briton took an aggressive inside line as the pack headed into Turn 1, but Piastri was able to move across and cover him off, forcing Russell to drop back and lose a position to the second McLaren of Lando Norris.
LIVE COVERAGE: Follow all the action from the Chinese Grand Prix
Further behind, there was intra-team contact for both the Racing Bulls and the Ferraris with debris falling onto the track – Yuki Tsunoda and Lewis Hamilton both improved, but Charles Leclerc suffered significant front wing damage. It was also a poor start for reigning World Champion Max Verstappen, who fell from P4 to P6 on the opening lap.
Click go on the video player above to watch the start of the Chinese Grand Prix.
Next Up
Related Articles
What the F1 drivers have been up to ahead of Austin
Beyond The GridAllan McNish on his F1 journey and winning ‘the Audi way’
Vowles highlights where Albon has stepped up in 2025
F1 ExplainsHow marshals act as the ‘first line of safety’ for F1 drivers
It's Race Week5 storylines we're excited about ahead of the US GP
Russell and Antonelli confirmed as 2026 Mercedes line-up