Kimi Antonelli claimed the first Formula One victory of his career with a commanding performance at the Chinese Grand Prix, while Lewis Hamilton secured his first podium finish for Scuderia Ferrari after an intense battle with team-mate Charles Leclerc.
The 19-year-old Mercedes driver dominated large parts of the race to become the second-youngest race winner in Formula One history, triumphing at 19 years and 202 days. Only Max Verstappen was younger when he won his first race in 2016 at 18 years and 202 days.
Antonelli’s victory also completed a second consecutive one-two finish for Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team, with George Russell finishing second.
Despite the win, Russell remains at the top of the early Drivers’ Championship standings, though his lead over Antonelli has now been cut to just three points.
Ferrari Duel Delivers Drama
Much of the race drama came from Ferrari’s intra-team battle for the final podium position. Hamilton and Leclerc went wheel-to-wheel several times in a thrilling contest that kept fans on edge.
The two drivers came close to contact on more than one occasion, but Hamilton eventually held his ground to finish third, securing his first podium since November 2024 and his first since joining Ferrari.
Leclerc had to settle for fourth after the intense scrap with his seven-time world champion team-mate.
Early Chaos and Retirements
There was drama even before the race began when both McLaren Formula One Team cars failed to start due to power-unit issues.
Lando Norris recorded the first “Did Not Start” (DNS) of his Formula One career, while team-mate Oscar Piastri is yet to complete a race lap this season after also retiring from the opening round in Australia.
Elsewhere, Verstappen’s race ended prematurely after an electrical failure forced the Red Bull driver to retire with ten laps remaining, while both Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team cars also failed to finish.
Top Finishers
Oliver Bearman impressed for Haas F1 Team with a strong fifth-place finish, following a spirited mid-race battle involving Esteban Ocon, Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly.
Liam Lawson finished seventh for Racing Bulls, while Isack Hadjar recovered from an early spin to claim eighth place for Red Bull Racing.
Carlos Sainz Jr. held off Colapinto late on to finish ninth and score his first points of the 2026 season for Williams Racing.
Only 15 cars finished the race in what proved to be a dramatic and unpredictable Chinese Grand Prix.
Antonelli’s breakthrough victory now sets up an intriguing early battle in the championship as the young Italian looks to build momentum in what is shaping up to be a thrilling 2026 Formula One season.
