Kimi Antonelli secured the first victory of his Formula 1 career in Shanghai. The Mercedes driver finished ahead of George Russell, while Lewis Hamilton gave Ferrari its first podium of the season after an intense duel with Charles Leclerc.
Read more In tears, Kimi Antonelli savours his first Formula 1 success and makes history
The 2026 Chinese Grand Prix will remain a landmark date in the young career of Kimi Antonelli. The Italian Mercedes driver clinched his very first victory in Formula 1 in Shanghai, confirming his immense potential after having already secured pole position the day before.
Starting from the front of the grid, Antonelli perfectly controlled the race to win at the end of the 56 laps. Behind him, his teammate George Russell completed a superb one-two finish for Mercedes.
Third place went to Lewis Hamilton, who gave Ferrari its first podium of the season after a spectacular battle against his teammate Charles Leclerc.
A grid missing several drivers
Even before the start, the race was marked by several major withdrawals. The two McLaren drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, were unable to start due to separate technical problems on their cars.
Other drivers were also forced to withdraw, notably Gabriel Bortoleto and Alex Albon, already reducing the field even before the lights went out.
In relatively cool conditions – around 16°C in the air – teams opted for different tire strategies, with Mercedes and Ferrari mostly choosing medium compounds at the start.
Ferrari surprises at the start… Mercedes reacts
When the lights went out, Ferrari reacted perfectly. Hamilton made an impressive start and took the lead from the first corner by overtaking both Mercedes on the outside.
Antonelli, however, quickly regained control of the situation. By the second lap, the Italian had retaken the lead of the race, while Russell also got past Leclerc to put both Mercedes back in command after only a few laps.
Behind this duo, Hamilton and Leclerc stayed in contact, setting up an internal battle that would animate a large part of the race.
Read more Lewis Hamilton returns to the front and finds his smile on the podium in Shanghai
The first neutralization occurred on the 10th lap after the retirement of Lance Stroll, stranded in a run-off area with his Aston Martin. This safety car intervention disrupted strategies, with several drivers taking the opportunity to make their pit stops.
At the restart, Hamilton quickly gained several positions to return to the fight for the win, while Leclerc and Russell also closed in on the lead group.
Spectacular duel between Hamilton and Leclerc
The middle part of the race was marked by an intense duel between the two Ferrari drivers. Overtaking moves and attack attempts multiplied, notably at the Shanghai hairpin and on the long main straight.
On several occasions, the two drivers overtook each other in turn, providing a spectacle particularly appreciated by the spectators. On the radio, Leclerc even acknowledged the spectacular nature of this battle: “It’s a very fun battle.”
Ultimately, Hamilton managed to maintain the advantage in the final laps to secure third place.
Meanwhile, the race turned into a nightmare for Max Verstappen. The four-time world champion encountered several difficulties throughout the race before retiring about ten laps from the finish after a technical problem on his Red Bull Racing. A retirement that symbolizes a particularly complicated weekend for the Austrian team.
A controlled victory for Antonelli
At the front of the race, Antonelli was never truly threatened in the final laps. Despite a small braking scare three laps from the finish, the Italian maintained a comfortable lead over Russell. After 56 perfectly controlled laps, the young driver crossed the finish line as the winner for the first time in his career.
Russell secured the one-two for Mercedes, while Hamilton completed the podium ahead of Leclerc. Behind them, Oliver Bearman, Pierre Gasly, Liam Lawson, Isack Hadjar, Carlos Sainz and Franco Colapinto completed the top 10.
A historic victory for Antonelli, who opens his account in Formula 1 with authority and confirms the emergence of a new star in the discipline.
Read more Another setback for Alex Albon: pit lane start in Shanghai
2026 F1 Chinese GP Classification:
