George Russell made a shocking Lewis Hamilton confession after winning the thrilling F1 Chinese Sprint.
According to Motorsport Week, 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.
Meanwhile, the Briton, who started from fourth, propelled himself into contention for the lead at the start.
Russell admitted getting “caught off guard” by the seven-time World Champion, but insisted he enjoyed his battles with the 41-year-old nonetheless.
He told the media, “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. It was really windy, and it was not easy because the first corner is so long.”
“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,” he added.
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.
