Teenage star Antonelli claims maiden F1 victory at Chinese GP; Hamilton takes first Ferrari podium

Teenage sensation Kimi Antonelli claimed his maiden Formula One victory with an impressive performance at the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday, finishing ahead of teammate George Russell while Lewis Hamilton celebrated his first podium for Scuderia Ferrari in Shanghai.

The 19-year-old Italian, who became the youngest pole sitter in Formula One history during qualifying, briefly lost the lead at the start when Hamilton surged ahead from third on the grid. Antonelli, however, quickly regained control before the end of the second lap and never looked back.

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Driving confidently throughout the race, Antonelli maintained a steady gap to the chasing pack. He had a brief scare with four laps remaining after running deep at the Turn 14 hairpin but recovered quickly and crossed the finish line 5.5 seconds ahead of Russell. The victory made him the second-youngest race winner in the history of Formula One.

Russell secured second place after recovering from a difficult phase following a safety car restart. The Mercedes driver initially dropped behind the Ferraris but fought back through the field to secure crucial points, allowing him to maintain the lead in the Drivers’ Championship.

Hamilton completed the podium in third, marking his first Grand Prix podium since joining Ferrari. The seven-time world champion was involved in an intense battle with teammate Charles Leclerc, with the pair exchanging positions multiple times before Hamilton eventually pulled clear. Leclerc finished fourth.

Ollie Bearman delivered an impressive drive to finish fifth for Haas F1 Team. He took avoiding action on the opening lap after Isack Hadjar spun at Turn 13. Pierre Gasly finished sixth for Alpine F1 Team, followed by Liam Lawson and Hadjar.

Carlos Sainz Jr. finished ninth, earning Williams Racing’s first points of the season, while Franco Colapinto secured 10th place for Alpine.

The race also saw its share of drama. A safety car was deployed after Lance Stroll stopped his Aston Martin F1 team car on track, while reigning champion Max Verstappen retired with a technical issue while running sixth for Red Bull Racing.

It was a disappointing day for McLaren, as both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri failed to start due to separate electrical problems. Meanwhile, Gabriel Bortoleto and Alexander Albon were also unable to take the start because of car issues.