George Russell Calls P2 “A Very Solid Result” After Chinese Grand Prix Podium Finish

George Russell crossed the line in second place at the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix, completing a Mercedes one-two and extending his team’s strong start to the season. After a race spent battling both Ferraris and navigating a difficult Safety Car moment, Russell was measured in his assessment, generous toward his team-mate and clear-eyed about where the fight ahead stands.

His first words on the podium were for Kimi Antonelli, who claimed his maiden Formula 1 victory to complete a remarkable weekend in Shanghai.

“First, a huge congratulations to Kimi because it’s always very special to win your first race, and obviously he’s been driving really amazingly this year and this weekend especially. Yeah, pleased to be standing on the podium with him and also with this guy as well. So, it was a tough battle. Obviously, we both had really bad starts again and the Ferraris shot past, but at the end of the day getting the one-two again is all we could ask for.”

Inside the press conference, Russell expanded on what had made the race so demanding. The two Ferraris had slotted ahead early on and made life difficult, but he worked his way back through the order before the Safety Car timing undid some of that progress.

“Yeah, really special day for Kimi, so huge congratulations to him. It’s obviously a day he’s going to remember forever. Again, it was just the Ferraris made our life very difficult once again. Three races down and three of those times they’ve taken the lead from us. But I felt in a pretty good place, so I got back into P2. Then, also the Safety Car timing, it was just a bit unfortunate, and coming out behind Colapinto and Ocon hindered my chances. But all things considered this weekend, after what happened in quali, P2 is a very solid result.”

Pressed on what he had learned about Ferrari’s pace from running alongside and between the two red cars, Russell was candid about the contrast in strengths.

“Well, I was just waiting for the two of them to collide and somehow they didn’t. It was some of the most aggressive racing I’ve seen for a while. If I wasn’t trying to win the race, I’d have been enjoying the battle, but obviously watching Kimi pull away during those points it was a little bit annoying. But Ferrari definitely very quick. They’re quicker in the corners than us, slower than us on the straight, so it just made it a little bit challenging. And when you’re trying to get past two of them at the same point, that wasn’t straightforward. But as it stands, we have the upper hand, but we can’t take that for granted because obviously we know some things are going to be changing in a couple of months. The upgrades are massive at the moment, so yeah, let’s see where it falls out.”

Asked whether the time lost among the Ferraris had cost him any realistic chance of challenging Antonelli for the lead, Russell gave an honest read of where things stood.

“I think it would have been very difficult to challenge Kimi, to be honest. He’s been very quick this weekend and when you’ve got two cars that are very similar pace, trying to get past on the same tyres is a little bit challenging. But obviously that time I lost with the Ferraris just gave me no chance. But as I said, I’m pleased just to be in P2 because it could have been a lot worse, and overall, it’s been a solid weekend.”

The podium also carried a personal dimension for Russell, who shared the top three with his former team-mate Hamilton and his current team-mate Antonelli. When asked what it meant to stand on the steps with those two drivers in particular, he reflected on how far each of them had come.

“Yeah, I mean, if we could probably all choose who we’d share the podium with, probably with each other to be honest. Obviously, I had the pleasure of being team-mates with Lewis for those years and learned so much, and then obviously being team-mates with Kimi for the past year and a bit and seeing his growth. He’s such a talented driver and he’s going to be giving me a hard time this year, no doubt. So that was really special and it was nice just to be with each other up there.”

On the subject of Formula 1’s growing presence in China, and whether the country’s automotive industry could one day produce a team capable of joining the grid, Russell echoed sentiments from across the paddock about what this year’s Shanghai crowd represented.

“I think, like Lewis said, it’s the first time we’ve ever had the grandstand at Turn 11 and 12 full. I would say this is without doubt the most amount of support I personally have ever received at a race, bar my home Grand Prix. It just feels like the Chinese fans and everybody in Shanghai is really loving and embracing Formula 1, and it’s just getting stronger and stronger. So yeah, for sure this is a race to stay. And regarding a Chinese brand, yeah, who knows? It could be a good addition potentially.”

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Written by

Jarrod Partridge

Jarrod Partridge is the Co-Founder of F1 Chronicle and an FIA accredited journalist with over 30 years of experience following Formula 1. A member of the AIPS International Sports Press Association, Jarrod has covered F1 races at circuits around the world, bringing first-hand insight to every race report, driver profile, and technical analysis he writes.

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