Grand Prix

Latest F1 Weather Forecast for the Chinese Grand Prix

The 2026 F1 Season continues in Shanghai with our first Sprint Weekend of the season! Here is the weather the drivers, teams, and fans will expect heading into the race weekend.
Kaitlin Tucci|
Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes | Mercedes-Benz Media

The Chinese Grand Prix at Shanghai International Circuit wasn't initially known for intense racing or exciting battles, but after the Sprint Race brought out a win from Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton last year – his only win of the season – fans are thrilled to watch this race return in 2026.

As the new era of Formula 1 continues with the second race weekend of the year, so does its good weather streak.

While the weather conditions may be moderate, there is far more to watch at this year's Chinese Grand Prix and Sprint Race after 6 DNF and DNS classifications in Melbourne. Although the Mercedes of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli were miles ahead of the competition, the Ferrari duo was also firmly in the fight.

Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, Australian GP 2026
Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, Australian GP 2026 | Mercedes-Benz Media

Without weather impacting race conditions, the true pace of the cars will continue to be revealed in the new era of F1 regulations.

F1 2026 Chinese Grand Prix weather forecast

Friday, March 13 - Free Practice / Sprint Qualifying

  • Entirely sunny and dry with crisp conditions keeping the fans and staff cool. The track temperature is expected to be more than double the air temperature.
  • Free Practice 1 temperature expected 53 Degrees Fahrenheit / 13 Degrees Celsius
  • Sprint Qualifying temperature expected 53 Degrees Fahrenheit / 13 Degrees Celsius
  • Chance of rain: 0% 

Saturday, March 14 - Sprint Race / Grand Prix Qualifying

  • Saturday is expected to have very similar conditions to Friday with a crisp air temperature, but direct sunlight heating up the track during the Sprint and Qualifying. There is no precipitation expected for either session.
  • Sprint Race temperature expected 59 Degrees Fahrenheit / 15 Degrees Celsius
  • Grand Prix Qualifying temperature expected 58 Degrees Fahrenheit / 14 Degrees Celsius
  • Chance of rain: 0%

Sunday, March 15 - Race

  • Sunday will see similar conditions to the prior two days with cool air temperatures and slightly warmer track temperatures. Shanghai is expecting cloud coverage for most of the day.
  • Race start temperature expected 58 Degrees Fahrenheit / 14 Degrees Celsius
  • Chance of rain: 10%

Weather forecast information was accurate at the time of publish. Forecast is subject to change.

Oscar Piastri, McLaren
Oscar Piastri, McLaren, pre-race at the 2025 Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix, Hungaroring, Budapest. | McLaren Racing

At the last Chinese Grand Prix, it was McLaren's Oscar Piastri who took home his first win of the season, starting the McLaren duo's World Drivers' Championship battle.

Who will take home the second race win of the new era in Formula 1, and who will take the first Sprint win of 2026?

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Kaitlin Tucci
KAITLIN TUCCI

Kaitlin Tucci has been a fan of motorsport for close to a decade. Before joining On SI in 2025, she contributed heavily to the marketing and media efforts at FanAmp, a motorsports startup for which she was the Head of Marketing. She has contributed to a number of publications covering series such as Formula 1, IndyCar, IMSA, and more... Kaitlin graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with both a degree in Business/Marketing and Political Science. She works full time as a marketer at high-growth tech startups while spending her weekends immersed in the world of racing. Kaitlin was raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, but has lived in New York City for the past 5 years with her 'giant chihuahua' Willow. You'll often catch Willow watching races alongside Kaitlin, but unfortunately she doesn't have enough airline miles to join her at the track just yet.

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