George Russell of Mercedes wins Chinese GP sprint to continue his early-season dominance

SHANGHAI (AP) — George Russell of Mercedes held off a strong challenge from Ferrari to win Saturday's sprint race at the Chinese Grand Prix, continuing his early dominance in a new and different season of Formula 1.

Charles Leclerc was second with his Ferrari teammate Lewis Hamilton taking third.

Russell won the first race of the season in Australia last weekend, and he followed up taking the 19-lap sprint in China. Later Saturday, he aims to make it three pole positions from three attempts in qualifying for Sunday's Chinese Grand Prix..

As last week in Australia, the Ferraris were fast off the line and Russell and Hamilton swapped the lead several times on the first few laps. But Russell began to pull away after the early laps with Hamilton fading as the constant battles took a toll on his tires.

“Lewis did an amazing job in the in the early laps,” Russell said. “He caught me off guard — 20 years of experience. So I've still got a bit to learn.”

“It was pretty fun in the end,” Russell added. “A lot of strategy in play and overtakes. It’s not easy. I hope it was fun race to watch. Usually the sprint races are pretty boring.”

Hamilton received loud applause from the Shanghai crowd when he began his on-track interview by saying “Nǐ hǎo" — hello in Chinese.

“That speed (of Mercedes) on the straight is just a little bit too much at the moment,” said Hamilton, who won last year's sprint in China for his only victory since joining Ferrari. "I think I put up a good fight.”

Hamilton and Leclerc couldn't renew their challenge late in the race after a safety car period for Audi's Nico Hulkenberg stopping on track.

Lando Norris was fourth for McLaren and Russell's teammate Kimi Antonelli fifth after serving a penalty for an early collision with Red Bull's Isack Hadjar.

Formula 1 has made massive engine and chassis changes for this season — the most radical in over a decade — that feature a 50-50 split between internal combustion and electric power.

Russell is one of the new era's biggest cheerleaders and said Saturday's sprint battle felt “like go-kart racing in the past ... I don’t ever remember Formula 1 being like that, where you can have three or four cars all fighting for the same position truly on track."

Drivers have struggled to handle the trade-off between using power and conserving it, and some have struggled with extra power coming in unexpectedly.

Four-time world champion Max Verstappen is no fan of the changes and finished ninth in the sprint race.

“Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong,” Verstappen said. “We just need to get our stuff together.”

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Second place Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco after the Sprint Race of the Chinese Formula One Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit, in Shanghai, China, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

Winner Mercedes driver George Russell, right, of Britain talks with third placer Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain after the Sprint Race of the Chinese Formula One Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit, in Shanghai, China, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

Red Bull driver Isack Hadjar of France steers his car during the Sprint Race of the Chinese Formula One Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit, in Shanghai, China, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

Cadillac driver Sergio Perez of Mexico steers his car during the Sprint Race of the Chinese Formula One Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit, in Shanghai, China, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

Mercedes driver George Russell, left, of Britain leads the pack during the Sprint Race of the Chinese Formula One Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit, in Shanghai, China, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea on Saturday fired about 10 ballistic missiles toward the eastern sea, South Korea’s military said, staging its own show of force as the rival South conducts a joint military exercise with the United States.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missiles were fired from an area near the North Korean capital of Pyongyang, but didn’t immediately say how far they flew. Japan’s Defense Ministry said the weapons landed in waters outside the country’s exclusive economic zone.

The South’s Joint Chiefs said the military has stepped up surveillance and is maintaining readiness against possible additional launches while closely sharing information with the U.S. and Japan.

The launches came as the U.S. and South Korean militaries conduct their annual springtime exercises involving thousands of troops while the Trump administration also wages an escalating war in the Middle East.

The war has raised concerns about potential security lapses in South Korea, as local media — citing security camera footage and other images — have speculated that the U.S. is relocating some missile defense assets stationed in the country to support operations against Iran.

When asked by The Associated Press this week whether U.S. Forces Korea was moving interceptor missiles from its Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, system in Seongju to the Middle East, President Lee Jae Myung’s office said it could not confirm details about U.S. military operations.

The office said the potential relocation of U.S. military assets would not affect the allies’ defense posture against nuclear-armed North Korea, while also citing South Korea’s conventional military strength. It earlier gave a similar response to reports about the possible relocation of Patriot missile defense systems from South Korea.

North Korea has long described the allies’ drills as invasion rehearsals and often uses them as a pretext to dial up its own military demonstrations or weapons testing.

The North in previous years has conducted numerous salvo launches of missiles or artillery while describing them as simulations of nuclear attacks against targets in South Korea.

The launches came days after the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Tuesday criticized Washington and Seoul for proceeding with their drills at a perilous moment for global security, and warned that any challenge to the North’s safety would bring “terrible consequences.”

Without directly referring to the Iran war, Kim Yo Jong said the U.S.-South Korea drills undermine regional stability at a time when the global security structure is “collapsing rapidly and wars break out in different parts of the world due to the reckless acts of outrageous international rogues.”

North Korea’s Foreign Ministry has released separate statements denouncing the joint U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran and expressing support for Tehran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei.

The 11-day Freedom Shield exercise, which runs through March 19, is one of two annual command post exercises conducted by the militaries of the United States and South Korea. The largely computer-simulated drills are designed to test the allies’ joint operational capabilities, while incorporating evolving war scenarios and security challenges. Freedom Shield will be accompanied by a field training program called Warrior Shield.

North Korea has repeatedly rejected Washington and Seoul’s calls to resume diplomacy aimed at winding down its nuclear program. Talks derailed in 2019 following the collapse of Kim Jong Un's second summit with U.S. President Donald Trump during his first term.

Kim has made Russia the priority of his foreign policy, sending thousands of troops and large amounts of military equipment to support Moscow’s war in Ukraine, possibly in exchange for aid and military technology.

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AP journalists Yuri Kageyama and Mayuko Ono contributed from Tokyo.

South Korean army's K1A2 tanks move during a joint river-crossing exercise between South Korea and the United States as a part of the Freedom Shield military exercise in Yeoncheon, South Korea, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

U.S. Army's armored vehicles cross a floating bridge on the Imjin River during a joint river-crossing exercise between South Korea and the United States as a part of the Freedom Shield military exercise in Yeoncheon, South Korea, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

U.S. Army's armored vehicles move during a joint river-crossing exercise between South Korea and the United States as a part of the Freedom Shield military exercise in Yeoncheon, South Korea, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)