Live from Shanghai
The latest from China
Join us all weekend for updates on Alex's second Grand Prix of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
12 March 2026
15 March 2026
Chinese GP ✅
15 March 2026
Hydraulic Failure 🧰
The Atlassian Williams team identified a hydraulic issue on Alex’s car during laps to grid.
Despite the team’s efforts to fix the issue, it has not been possible, and we are forced to retire the car.
15 March 2026
Out 🛑
Alex is not in the car. He will not begin this race.
15 March 2026
Formation Lap 🟢
ANT leads the drivers for the formation lap.
Alex starts with the Hards, alongside eight other drivers, mostly in the bottom half of the grid.
15 March 2026
Pit Lane Starts 🚦
Alex is one of four pit lane starts.
BOR, NOR, and PIA are all in the pit lane rather than the garage right now.
15 March 2026
FIVE MINUTES 🚨
Not long now until the formation lap.
We’re going to bring you all the latest from Alex’s car right here.
Don’t go anywhere.
15 March 2026
National Anthem 🎶
Alex is standing at the start-finish line as the Chinese national anthem plays over the speakers.
15 March 2026
Alex x George 📸
15 March 2026
Chinese GP 🇨🇳
Good afternoon from Shanghai on a dry and mild Sunday.
Alex is starting P18 today when the race gets underway.
Get set for all the action coming from car #23, with lights out coming in 40 minutes at 3 PM local time.
14 March 2026
Chinese GP Qualifying ✅
14 March 2026
Qualifying Complete 😣
Alex ends the session in P18 and is out in Q1 along with SAI, ALO, BOT, STR, and PER.
14 March 2026
ALEX to PIT
Terrible!
14 March 2026
Last Chance 🤞
One more lap for Alex.
His 1:34.772 gets him to P16 for now…
14 March 2026
Fresh Rubber 🛞
That’s another set of new Softs for Albono as he tries to reach Q2.
Three minutes remain.
14 March 2026
ALEX and PIT
ALEX: Again… sorry guys, but I feel a bit lost with this…
PIT: Box.
14 March 2026
Faster Again 📉
Now a 1:35.145 for Alex. He dropped down to P18, but that has him back up to P17.
He’ll need to go again, though, with him still sitting in the drop zone.
14 March 2026
P17 😬
Alex is going for another flying lap, but his first attempt has him down in P17 now with everyone setting a time.
14 March 2026
Box, box 🅿️
Alex comes back to the pit lane while he debriefs with the pit wall about where to look for improvements.
He’s got a new set of Softs and has gone back out straight away.
14 March 2026
Time on the Board ⏱️
That’s a 1:35.501 for Alex.
He’s P13 as others continue their early attempts.
14 March 2026
Backing Off ✋
Alex stopped his push in the final sector and instead does a double cool, but he’s full send now.
14 March 2026
Push Lap 👉
The first attempt of Q1 begins. Alex has fresh Softs on his FW48.
14 March 2026
PIT to ALEX
Okay, good to fire up for 40 seconds.
14 March 2026
Queuing Up 🚦
Alex is already in the pit lane and ready to maximise track time in this Quali session.
14 March 2026
FIVE MINUTE WARNING 🚨
Are you all set for Quali? Q1 goes green in five minutes!
14 March 2026
Q1 Begins Soon! 🔜
Lessons learned from Friday and Sprint, and now it’s nearly time to set the grid.
Albono is gearing up for Quali to see where he’ll begin tomorrow’s Chinese GP from.
14 March 2026
Poring Over The Data 👨💻
14 March 2026
China Sprint ✅
14 March 2026
PIT and ALEX
PIT: Well done.
ALEX: This car is just… Yeh.
PIT: Still lots to do.
ALEX: I just don’t understand how it can be so understeer and so oversteer at the same time.
14 March 2026
Chequered Flag 🏁
That’s P16 for Alex after a pit lane start.
Plenty to be encouraged by after those 19 laps for the race tomorrow, but we have Quali coming up next…
14 March 2026
LAP 18/19
HAD passes ALO, and Alex follows suit!
He’s back to P16 as this 19-lap race approaches its conclusion.
14 March 2026
LAP 17/19
Back green and HAD gets by. Alex drops to P17.
14 March 2026
🟡 SAFETY CAR IN THIS LAP 🟡
We’re about to go back racing for three laps.
14 March 2026
LAP 14/19
Alex returned to the track in P16 as the field shuffles up a little.
Many did not pit, and he now has COL ahead of him and HAD behind.
14 March 2026
PIT to ALEX
Box this lap for used softs.
14 March 2026
SAFETY CAR 🟡
That retirement has triggered a Safety Car.
14 March 2026
LAP 13/19
HUL has pulled off at the side of the road…
14 March 2026
LAP 12/19
SAI passed COL for P14 ahead, and that’s let Alex get much closer to HUL…
14 March 2026
LAP 10/19
The halfway mark is here and the gap is closing again as the midfield fight.
Alex has HUL squarely in his sights, just a second away. There’s a nine-car scrap slowing the German driver down.
14 March 2026
LAP 7/19
The race is settling down a little now.
Alex is dropping back from HUL’s Audi, who is now 1.9s in front.
ALO has overtaken STR in the Aston Martin battle behind, but that’s 4 seconds away.
14 March 2026
LAP 5/19
HUL passes at the hairpin and Alex drops to P17.
14 March 2026
LAP 4/19
Alex has HUL chasing him down behind, 0.5s away.
SAI is the car 2.1s ahead up the road.
14 March 2026
LAP 2/19
Another Aston gone as Alex continues this strong start. He’s up to P16.
14 March 2026
LAP 1/19
Alex up to P17 after taking huge strides on that opening lap!
Contact in the second sector had Albono getting by to P18 before passing ALO in the final sector to reach P17!
14 March 2026
Ready to Go 🟢
Albono heads down the pit lane for the start with the Medium tyres equipped.
14 March 2026
Formation lap 👉
Alex waits at the end of the pit lane as the drivers begin their formation lap.
He’ll do one tour of the track before peeling back to the pit lane himself.
14 March 2026
Pit Lane Start 🟢
Alex is going to start this race from the pit lane after changing his suspension from yesterday.
14 March 2026
TEN MINUTE WARNING ⚠️
Are you ready? The formation lap will begin in 10 minutes. Get ready to race!
14 March 2026
On the Grid 👉
The cars have arrived on the grid ready for the race.
It’s frantic down there, with the grandstands packed full of fans.
14 March 2026
A Packed Schedule 📆
The first Sprint Saturday of 2026 has arrived and with it a busy day of competitive action for Alex.
We have Sprint coming up in a little over 30 minutes for the first point-scoring opportunity of this Chinese GP weekend.
But that’s not where things end, with Qualifying for tomorrow’s Grand Prix coming later today.
Stay tuned here as we bring you all the latest from Alex’s car in Shanghai.
14 March 2026
Sprint Saturday is Here
13 March 2026
Alex Misses Out 🏁
Alex runs wide at Turn 11 and aborts the lap. Heartbreaking! He is out in SQ1.
13 March 2026
Go push!
Less than a minute to go. Now or never for Albono!
13 March 2026
First Lap Done ✔️
Alex’s opening time of a 1:35.305 is enough to put him P17 for the time being. Some time still to be found out there!
13 March 2026
Lap Aborted ⚠️
Alex’s first push lap is aborted. He resets and goes again on a second lap…
13 March 2026
PIT to Alex
And go push, go push!
13 March 2026
Heading Out 💪
Alex is on the Medium tyres for his first run in this opening session…
13 March 2026
Green Light! 🟢
And SQ1 is underway. What can Alex do in China this afternoon?
13 March 2026
Sprint Qualifying next ⏳
Alex will be back on track shortly for the first Sprint Quali of 2026…
13 March 2026
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13 March 2026
2026 Season Mini Helmet
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13 March 2026
FP1 🏁
13 March 2026
1:35.480 ⏱️
New best of the session for Alex, placing him P16 on the timing tower.
13 March 2026
On track 👉
Soft tyres fitted for Alex ahead of this final stint in FP1
13 March 2026
Back in the garage 🅿️
Alex has clocked up 21 laps so far in FP1, with his best of 1:36.494 placing him P16 with 12 minutes to go.
13 March 2026
Time for a race run 📊
Plenty of data needed in this session, and Alex goes straight into his race run after a wing change.
13 March 2026
ALEX to PIT
Front left is graining, so there’s not much we’re gonna learn. But we can try.
13 March 2026
Another VSC 🟡
LIN has stopped in sector 3, so we’re waiting for his car to be retrieved by the marshals.
13 March 2026
Early laps 🔁
Four laps in for Alex on the mediums, he’s P10 in these early stages with a best of 1:37.771 – short VSC to allow for clearing of debris.
13 March 2026
Green light 🟢
No time to waste, Alex is straight out there…
13 March 2026
Friday check in 📸
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