Days after the season-opening Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park Circuit, we have reached the second Grand Prix weekend of the 24-race 2025 Formula 1 campaign. And with that, Formula 1 is set for the first of its six sprint races this year.
Shanghai International Circuit, which returned to the calendar for the first time since 2019 last year, also hosted a sprint race in 2024. It hosted the season's first sprint race a year ago as well, though the Chinese Grand Prix race weekend did not take place until mid-April.
Sprint races are roughly one-third the length of the Grand Prix, so with Sunday's race around the 16-turn, 3.388-mile (5.452-kilometer) Jiading, Shanghai road course being scheduled for 56 laps, the sprint race is scheduled to be a 19-lap event.
The qualifying format is pretty much the same for a sprint race as it is for a Grand Prix, albeit with shorter rounds. In the sprint itself, only the top eight drivers score points, with eight points going to the winner, down to one point for the eighth place finisher.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen won last year's sprint race after McLaren's Lando Norris started from the pole position.
Follow along with our live Chinese sprint updates.
Chinese sprint SQ1 - Advanced
1st - Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
2nd - Lando Norris, McLaren
3rd - Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
4th - Oscar Piastri, McLaren
5th - Max Verstappen, Red Bull
6th - George Russell, Mercedes
7th - Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
8th - Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin
9th - Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls
10th - Oliver Bearman, Haas
11th - Yuki Tsunoda, Racing Bulls
12th - Lance Stroll, Aston Martin
13th - Carlos Sainz Jr., Williams
14th - Alex Albon, Williams
15th - Gabriel Bortoleto, Sauber
Chinese sprint SQ1 - Eliminated
16th - Jack Doohan, Alpine
17th - Pierre Gasly, Alpine
18th - Esteban Ocon, Haas
19th - Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber
20th - Liam Lawson, Red Bull
Chinese sprint SQ2 - Advanced
1st - Lando Norris, McLaren
2nd - George Russell, Mercedes
3rd - Oscar Piastri, McLaren
4th - Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
5th - Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
6th - Max Verstappen, Red Bull
7th - Alex Albon, Williams
8th - Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
9th - Lance Stroll, Aston Martin
10th - Yuki Tsunoda, Racing Bulls
Chinese sprint SQ2 - Eliminated
11th - Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin
12th - Oliver Bearman, Haas
13th - Carlos Sainz Jr., Williams
14th - Gabriel Bortoleto, Sauber
15th - Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls
Chinese sprint SQ3 - Results
1st - Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
2nd - Max Verstappen, Red Bull
3rd - Oscar Piastri, McLaren
4th - Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
5th - George Russell, Mercedes
6th - Lando Norris, McLaren
7th - Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
8th - Yuki Tsunoda, Racing Bulls
9th - Alex Albon, Williams
10th - Lance Stroll, Aston Martin
Full Chinese sprint starting lineup
1st - Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
2nd - Max Verstappen, Red Bull
3rd - Oscar Piastri, McLaren
4th - Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
5th - George Russell, Mercedes
6th - Lando Norris, McLaren
7th - Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
8th - Yuki Tsunoda, Racing Bulls
9th - Alex Albon, Williams
10th - Lance Stroll, Aston Martin
11th - Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin
12th - Oliver Bearman, Haas
13th - Carlos Sainz Jr., Williams
14th - Gabriel Bortoleto, Sauber
15th - Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls
16th - Jack Doohan, Alpine
17th - Pierre Gasly, Alpine
18th - Esteban Ocon, Haas
19th - Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber
20th - Liam Lawson, Red Bull
ESPNU is set to provide live coverage of the Chinese sprint race from Shanghai International Circuit beginning at 10:55 p.m. ET on Friday, March 21. The Chinese Grand Prix itself is set to be shown live on ESPN beginning at 2:55 a.m. ET on Sunday, March 23. Start a free trial of FuboTV now and don't miss any of the action!