Kimi Antonelli took his debut Formula One win with victory at the Chinese Grand Prix after a confident and assured run in Shanghai for Mercedes. The Italian 19-year-old beat his teammate George Russell into second to become the second youngest driver to win a race, behind only the four-time champion Max Verstappen.
Behind them Lewis Hamilton finally took his first podium for Ferrari in third place having failed to score one at all in his debut season with the team last year and his first podium since 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 just four points in the world championship.
There was calamity however for defending world champion Lando Norris and his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri. Both suffered issues before the start and both cars were returned to their garages. Norris had an electrical issue and neither was able to start the race. It is the first time Norris has not started a race in his career, while Piastri has still yet to start a race this season, a disastrous opening for the Australian.
Verstappen also endured a tough time in China. He was once again unable to get away quickly after what has been an enormously difficult weekend for the four-time champion and he dropped from eighth to 13th place and was then forced to retire the car with a problem on lap 46.
Antonelli’s debut win comes in only his second season in F1 and to see off his vastly more experienced teammate Russell was a display of great confidence and nerve.
He had been boldly backed by team principal Toto Wolff to replace Hamilton in 2025, despite his lack of experience when he became the third youngest driver in F1 history at just 18 years old. A member of the Mercedes junior team, he had not competed in F3 and completed only one season in F2 in 2024 where he finished sixth before he was promoted to Mercedes. It was a move which many questioned at the time but Wolff was adamant that he felt Antonelli represented the future for the team.
The son of the sportscar driver Marco Antonelli and born in Bologna, Antonelli has more than justified the faith shown in him. He endured a mixed season in 2025 as he learnt the ropes in F1 but displayed real skill alongside some expected rookie errors. He has admitted that he is still learning how best to push and hit the limits but the win in China was a superbly well-judged a drive and clearly there is more to come from the youngster.
Now Mercedes have delivered a car that is the class of the field, Antonelli has stepped up with alacrity. He had to work for it too in a race defined once more in the opening phase by a scrap between Mercedes and Ferrari. Hamilton had made another blistering start, bursting past the two Mercedes into the lead around the outside through turn one as Russell dropped to fourth, while Antonelli had just held second from Leclerc.
Antonelli took the lead back from Hamilton in no short order only a lap later however, with the Mercedes demonstrating its power superiority as Russell also claimed third from Leclerc on lap three. On a charge he swept past Hamilton for second a lap later and he and Antonelli immediately opened a gap on the two Ferraris.
A safety car was called on lap 10 and the leaders all opted to pit, resetting the race which resumed on lap 14, where Antonelli held his lead with an assured getaway but the fast-starting Hamilton made a place up on Russell.
Russell appeared to be struggling on the hard tyres for grip as Leclerc too went past him. Hamilton had no such issues and hared off after Antonelli. He was within a second by lap 16 but as the hard rubber came up to temperature Antonelli was able to maintain a gap.
As the tyres began working Russell too charged, putting in some fastest laps and closed once more on Leclerc, with the leading four cars evenly matched for pace on the hard rubber. Leclerc moved up to second past Hamilton on lap 24 and their scrap continued across three laps, with Hamilton refusing to be bowed, all of which allowed Antonelli some breathing space.
Their fight, enthralling as it was, did not help their cause as it also allowed Russell to close and he took third on lap 27 and he passed Leclerc two laps later. By that point Antonelli had seven seconds on them all.
With the duelling done, as has has been the pattern thus far this season, Russell began to drop the Ferraris and both Mercedes proceeded to check out at the front. Antonelli however already had the advantage, and was maintaining his lead with a series of perfect laps with precision.
Ferrari had yet to call time on their fight however as Hamilton then took back third when Leclerc locked-up at the hairpin and once more the two began to vie to thrilling effect, swapping places repeatedly, neither willing to give up the ghost.
Hamilton ultimately held the place while out front Antonelli held his control but for a scary moment where he locked-up at the hairpin with three laps to go. It was perhaps his only flaw in an otherwise nerveless drive as he closed out his first win, with a five-second lead at the flag.
Ollie Bearman was fifth for Haas, Pierre Gasly sixth for Alpine, with his teammate Franco Colapinto in 10th, Liam Lawson seventh for Racing Bulls, Isack Hadjar eighth for Red Bull and Carlos Sainz ninth for Williams.
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