ChineseGP: Antonelli Claims Maiden Second Youngest Victory

Teenage sensation Kimi Antonelli delivered a stunning performance to secure his first-ever Formula 1 victory at the Chinese Grand Prix, leading a dominant one-two finish for Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team ahead of teammate George Russell.

The race, held at the iconic Shanghai International Circuit, also saw Lewis Hamilton claim his first Formula 1 Grand Prix podium for Scuderia Ferrari, finishing third after an intense intra-team battle with Charles Leclerc.

After becoming the youngest pole-sitter in F1 history during qualifying, Kimi Antonelli briefly lost the lead at the start when Hamilton surged from third on the grid to take the early advantage.

However, the 19-year-old Italian quickly regained control of the race before the end of lap two, reclaiming the lead and never looking back.

Antonelli maintained his position through the race’s only Safety Car period, triggered after the stranded car of Lance Stroll forced a temporary neutralisation.

Despite a late scare when he ran deep at Turn 14 with four laps remaining, Antonelli held his nerve to cross the line 5.5 seconds ahead of Russell, becoming the second-youngest race winner in Formula 1 history.

George Russell, who had already tasted success earlier in the weekend by winning the Sprint race, fought back impressively to secure second place.

The Brit briefly lost momentum after the Safety Car restart, finding himself behind the battling Ferraris. However, he recovered to reclaim position and maintain his lead in the Drivers’ Championship standings.

For Lewis Hamilton, the race marked a milestone moment in his debut season with Scuderia Ferrari.

The seven-time world champion delivered a strong drive to secure third place, his first Grand Prix podium for Ferrari, at the same venue where he had won the Sprint race in Shanghai the previous season.

Hamilton had to battle fiercely with teammate Charles Leclerc, with the Ferrari pair running side-by-side on multiple occasions before Leclerc eventually settled for fourth place.

Young British driver Oliver Bearman impressed with a fifth-place finish for Haas F1 Team, despite being forced to take evasive action early in the race when Isack Hadjar spun at Turn 13.

Pierre Gasly continued his solid form for Alpine F1 Team, finishing sixth and scoring points for the second consecutive race weekend.

Defending champions McLaren F1 Team endured a miserable weekend, with both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri unable to start the race due to electrical and power unit issues, respectively.

Meanwhile, reigning world champion Max Verstappen was forced to retire just 10 laps from the finish while running sixth due to technical issues with his Red Bull Racing machine.

Both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll also failed to finish for Aston Martin F1 Team.