Kimi Antonelli announced himself as a future world champion with a composed and dominant victory at the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai, becoming the second youngest Grand Prix winner in Formula 1 history. The 19-year-old Italian led team-mate George Russell home in another Mercedes one-two, with Lewis Hamilton claiming the final podium position for Ferrari after a breathless race-long battle with team-mate Charles Leclerc.
Antonelli’s win comes just one day after he became the youngest pole-sitter in F1 history, and only Max Verstappen — who won for the first time aged 18 at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix — has taken victory at a younger age. Russell’s second place keeps him at the top of the drivers’ championship, four points clear of his young team-mate. McLaren, meanwhile, suffered a catastrophic weekend: both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were eliminated before the race had even started due to separate electrical failures.
Antonelli Controls From the Front
The Italian briefly lost the lead at the start as Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton made a rapid getaway from third on the grid to steal first place into the opening corners, with Leclerc also squeezing ahead of Antonelli momentarily. But Antonelli recovered swiftly, reclaiming the lead down the back straight on lap two before pulling clear once the race settled.
The pivotal moment came mid-race when Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin retirement triggered a safety car. All four leading cars pitted together, but Russell emerged behind the Alpine of Franco Colapinto and Haas of Esteban Ocon — who had not stopped — and then struggled with cold tyres at the restart, losing further positions to both Ferraris. By the time Russell had worked his way back into second place on lap 29, Antonelli was nearly seven seconds up the road and in complete control.
Russell pushed hard to close the gap in the final stint, but every fast lap he set was matched by Antonelli, who crossed the line 5.5 seconds clear. “The win has maybe come earlier than I expected,” said Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff. “He has controlled it from the front, he has driven very well today — he’s probably a little bit better than the trajectory I thought.”
Hamilton and Leclerc Put on a Show
While Antonelli cruised to victory, the real entertainment came from the Ferrari garage, where Hamilton and Leclerc engaged in one of the most entertaining team-mate battles in recent memory. The pair swapped positions repeatedly across the middle portion of the race, trading places at Turn 14, the hairpin, Turn Six and Turn Nine in a sequence that drew admiration even from Leclerc himself, who came on the radio to say he was genuinely enjoying it.
Hamilton ultimately had the measure of his team-mate, pulling clear in the final laps to take his first podium finish since joining Ferrari at the start of the season. “It was one of the most enjoyable races I’ve had for a very long time,” the seven-time champion said afterwards. Leclerc had to settle for fourth, just behind his team-mate at the flag.
McLaren’s Nightmare Continues
For McLaren, China represented a second consecutive disaster. Norris never made it to the grid after an electrical problem was discovered on his car, while Piastri was wheeled into retirement when a separate fault meant his car could not be started either. It is the second race in a row that Piastri has failed to start — having crashed on his way to the grid in Melbourne — leaving the world champion Norris with zero points from the opening two rounds.
Verstappen also retired late in the race while running in the points, while Fernando Alonso was forced to stop due to severe engine vibrations from the Honda power unit — a problem serious enough that Aston Martin team principal Adrian Newey had warned before the season opener that drivers risked permanent nerve damage after just 25 laps.
Top 10 Results
1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
2. George Russell (Mercedes)
3. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
5. Oliver Bearman (Haas)
6. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
7. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)
8. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull)
9. Carlos Sainz (Williams)
10. Franco Colapinto (Alpine)
Analysis: Mercedes in a Class of Their Own
Two races into the new era, Mercedes have won both grands prix and locked out the front row in qualifying on both occasions. Russell leads the championship with Antonelli four points behind — an all-Mercedes top two that few predicted heading into 2026. Ferrari have shown enough to suggest they can challenge, but their strategic decision-making continues to raise questions, and the gap to the Silver Arrows remains significant. For Red Bull, McLaren and the rest, the enforced five-week break before Miami — following the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian races — may prove crucial in finding the performance they so clearly need.
What’s Next?
Before that break, Formula 1 heads to Japan for the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka on 27–29 March. The high-speed, technically demanding circuit will provide yet another fascinating test of the new 2026 cars — and another opportunity to see whether anyone can stop the Mercedes steamroller.
