Kimi Antonelli took his debut System One win with victory on the Chinese language Grand Prix after a assured and warranted run in Shanghai for Mercedes. The Italian 19-year-old beat his teammate George Russell into second to change into the second youngest driver to win a race, behind solely the four-time champion Max Verstappen.
Behind them, Lewis Hamilton lastly took his first podium for Ferrari in third place having failed to attain one in any respect in his debut season with the crew final 12 months and his first podium because the Las Vegas GP in 2024. After a race-long scrap he edged his teammate Charles Leclerc into fourth.
With the win, Antonelli now trails Russell by simply 4 factors on the earth championship.
There was calamity nonetheless for defending world champion Lando Norris and his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri. Each suffered points earlier than the beginning and each automobiles had been returned to their garages. Norris had {an electrical} difficulty and neither was in a position to begin the race. It’s the first time Norris has not began a race in his profession, whereas Piastri has nonetheless but to begin a race this season in a disastrous opening for the Australian.
Verstappen additionally endured a tricky time in China. He was as soon as once more unable to get away rapidly after what has been an enormously troublesome weekend for the four-time world champion. He dropped from eighth to thirteenth place and was then compelled to retire the automotive with an issue on lap 46.
Antonelli’s debut win is available in solely his second season in F1 and to see off his vastly extra skilled teammate Russell was a show of nice confidence and nerve.
He had been boldly backed by crew principal Toto Wolff to switch Hamilton in 2025, regardless of his lack of expertise when he turned the third youngest driver in F1 historical past at simply 18 years outdated. A member of the Mercedes junior crew, he had not competed in F3 and accomplished just one season in F2 in 2024 the place he completed sixth earlier than he was promoted to Mercedes. It was a transfer which many questioned on the time however Wolff was adamant he felt Antonelli represented the longer term for the crew.
The son of the sports activities automotive driver Marco Antonelli and born in Bologna, Antonelli has greater than justified the religion proven in him. He endured a combined season in 2025 as he learnt the ropes in F1 however displayed actual talent alongside some anticipated rookie errors. He has admitted that he’s nonetheless studying how finest to push and hit the bounds however the win in China was a wonderfully well-judged drive and clearly there’s extra to return from the teen.
Now Mercedes have delivered a automotive that’s the class of the sphere, Antonelli has stepped up with alacrity. He needed to work for it too in a race outlined as soon as extra within the opening part by a scrap between Mercedes and Ferrari. Hamilton had made one other blistering begin, bursting previous the 2 Mercedes into the lead across the exterior by flip one as Russell dropped to fourth, whereas Antonelli had simply held second from Leclerc.
Antonelli took the lead again from Hamilton in no brief order solely a lap later, with the Mercedes demonstrating its energy superiority as Russell additionally claimed third from Leclerc on lap three. On a cost, Russell swept previous Hamilton for second a lap later and he and Antonelli instantly opened a niche on the 2 Ferraris.
A security automotive was referred to as on lap 10 and the leaders all opted to pit, resetting the race which resumed on lap 14, the place Antonelli held his lead with an assured getaway however the fast-starting Hamilton made a spot up on Russell.
Russell gave the impression to be struggling on the laborious tyres for grip as Leclerc too went previous him. Hamilton had no such points and hared off after Antonelli. He was inside a second by lap 16 however because the laborious rubber got here as much as temperature Antonelli was in a position to keep a niche.
Because the tyres started working Russell too charged, placing in some quickest laps and shutting as soon as extra on Leclerc, with the main 4 automobiles evenly matched for tempo on the laborious rubber. Leclerc moved as much as second previous Hamilton on lap 24 and their scrap continued throughout three laps, with Hamilton refusing to be bowed, all of which allowed Antonelli some respiratory house.
Their battle, enthralling because it was, didn’t assist their trigger because it additionally allowed Russell to shut. The British driver took third on lap 27 and he handed Leclerc two laps later. By that time Antonelli had seven seconds on all of them.
With the duelling executed, Russell started to drop the Ferraris and each Mercedes proceeded to take a look at on the entrance. Antonelli nonetheless already had the benefit, and was sustaining his lead with a sequence of good laps with precision.
Ferrari had but to name time on their battle as Hamilton then took again third when Leclerc locked up on the hairpin, and as soon as extra the 2 started to vie to thrilling impact, swapping locations repeatedly, neither prepared to surrender the ghost.
Hamilton in the end held the place whereas out in entrance, Antonelli held his management however for a scary second the place he locked up on the hairpin with three laps to go. It was maybe his solely flaw in an in any other case nerveless drive as he closed out his first win, with a five-second lead on the flag.
Ollie Bearman was fifth for Haas, Pierre Gasly sixth for Alpine together with his teammate Franco Colapinto in tenth; Liam Lawson seventh for Racing Bulls, Isack Hadjar eighth for Pink Bull and Carlos Sainz ninth for Williams.
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