Mercedes teenager Kimi Antonelli wins first F1 in China; Russell second | Motorsports News
Kimi Antonelli Claims Historic Victory at Chinese Grand Prix
SHANGHAI (March 15, 2026) — Kimi Antonelli, a 19-year-old driver for Mercedes, secured his first Formula One victory at the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday, further establishing Mercedes’s dominance in the early F1 season. Antonelli, who made history as the youngest pole-sitter in Formula One, triumphed ahead of teammates George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, who finished third.
Antonelli expressed his overwhelming emotions during a post-race interview, thanking his supporters and confessing, “I’m speechless. I’m about to cry to be honest.” His win was particularly poignant given the dramatic failure of both McLaren cars to start the race.
With just three laps remaining, Antonelli experienced a tense moment when he locked up and went wide, reducing his lead over Russell to 7.4 seconds. However, he ultimately finished 5.515 seconds ahead of his teammate.
This victory marked Mercedes’s second consecutive one-two finish, following a similar result at the Australian Grand Prix the previous weekend. “I gave myself a little bit of a heart attack toward the end with the flat spot on my tires,” said Antonelli, noting the intensity of the final laps. He became the first Italian driver to win a Formula One race since Giancarlo Fisichella at the 2006 Malaysian Grand Prix.
Formula One Chief Executive Stefano Domenicali congratulated Antonelli prior to the post-race celebrations, during which the Italian national anthem was played.
Following a strong start, Antonelli lost the lead briefly but quickly regained control, demonstrating steady pace throughout the race. Charles Leclerc of Ferrari finished fourth, while Hamilton effectively maneuvered at the start to claim an early lead.
The race saw a flurry of position changes among the top four drivers. After a safety car on lap 11, the competitors pitted, and once racing resumed, Antonelli led Hamilton, followed by Leclerc and Russell.
Russell climbed to second place by lap 29, setting his sights on Antonelli, who was then more than seven seconds ahead. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen’s difficult start to the season continued as he was forced to retire on lap 46 due to technical issues.
Both McLaren drivers, reigning world champion Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, experienced failures that prevented them from starting the race. Oliver Bearman from Haas rounded out the top five, followed by Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and Liam Lawson of Racing Bulls. Isack Hadjar finished eighth for Red Bull, Carlos Sainz took ninth for Williams, and Franco Colapinto secured a point for Alpine, marking his first scoring finish after a year without points.
As the season progresses, Antonelli’s victory adds to the excitement and unpredictability of the 2026 Formula One World Championship.
