Mercedes demonstrated vulnerability in qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix 2026, despite both Kimi Antonelli and championship leader George Russell experiencing technical issues. Despite these issues, Mercedes maintained their dominance over the field at the start of the season. Hamilton was only 0.351secs slower than Antonlli, halving the deficit the next fastest car had to secure. This could lead to Ferrari potentially taking the race to Mercedes. However, Hamilton dismissed this, stating that it was highly unlikely they would be able to beat them in the race.