Race Notes - Kimi takes first win in Shanghai

By Mark Karp

Kimi Antonelli won his first Grand Prix at the Chinese GP in Shanghai today in his Mercedes GP.

His team mate George Russell finished second, 5.515 seconds behind.

Lewis Hamilton in his Ferrari finished third, 25.257 seconds behind the winner, his first podium finish since signing for Ferrari - his 203rd career podium.

Antonelli takes his first win in his 26th race in F1 in his second season. He is the second youngest Grand Prix winner at 19 years, 202 days old.

He is the 116th GP winner, and the first Italian winner since Giancarlo Fisichella in the Malaysian GP in 2006.

It is the second win for Mercedes GP in the 2026 season.

Russell leads the Drivers’ Championship with 51 points, 4 points over Antonelli on 47, 34 for Leclerc and 33 for Hamilton.

Mercedes GP leading the Constructors with 98 points over Ferrari with 67 and McLaren with 18.

Charles Leclerc (28.904s) in the second Ferrari finished fourth, followed by Oliver Bearman (57.268s) in the Haas-Ferrari in fifth, Pierre Gasly (59.647s) in the Alpine-Mercedes was sixth, Liam Lawson (1m20.588s) in the Racing Bulls-Ford in seventh, Isack Hadjar (1m27.247s) in the Red Bull-Ford in eighth, Carlos Sainz (1 lap) in the Williams-Mercedes was ninth, and Franco Colapinto in the second Alpine took the final point in tenth place, his first points scoring finish since 2024.

Before the start 19-year-old Kimi Antonelli is the youngest driver to sit on pole for a Grand Prix, with his Mercedes GP team mate Russell alongside on the front row, Hamiton and Leclerc’s Ferrari on row 2, Piastri and Norris are in row 3 but are in the pitlane, Gasly and Verstappen are on row 4 and Hadjar and Bearman round out the top ten.

The top ten on mediums except the two Red Bulls.

The two McLaren’s would start from pitlane.

At the appointed time the field came around, the drivers lined up on the grid and lights went out and the race began with Antonelli in front, but Hamilton in the lead into the first corner with Antonelli, Leclerc, Russell and Gasly fifth.

Hadjar spins and continues. The two McLaren's never make it out of the pitlane and fail to get going.

On lap 2 Antonelli passes Hamilton for the lead.

Into the first corner on lap 3 Russell passes Leclerc for third.

Gasly fifth followed by Colapinto, Lawson, Ocon, Lindblad, and Verstappen in tenth.

Russell passes Hamilton and closes on Antonelli.

On lap 5 Verstappen is challenging Lindblad for ninth.

Hamilton is reporting problems with energy deployment.

At lap 10 Antonelli leads Russell by 1.3 seconds, followed by Hamilton (4.9s), Leclerc (5.8s), Gasly (10.3s), Colapinto (15.6s), Ocon (17.7s), Lawson (s), Lindblad (s), and Verstappen (s) in tenth.

Lance Stroll is stranded on

The full Safety Car is out, most drivers pit.

Behind the Safety Car Antonelli is in the lead, followed by Colapinto (not pitting), Ocon, Russell, Hamilton, Lindblad, Leclerc, Hulkenberg, Gasly, and Bearman in tenth.

Stroll’s car is being recovered.

At the end of lap 13 of 56 the Safety Car is in and the race resumes with Antonelli back in the lead, Colapinto and Ocon behind. Hamilton passes Russell for fourth.

On lap 14 Hamilton passes Ocon for third. Leclerc passes Russell for fifth.

Russell reports that he is struggling for grip.

On lap 15 Hamilton passes Colapinto for second behind Antonelli.

The hard tyres are coming into tempeture.

On lap 16 Russell passes Colapinto for fourth.

Antonelli leads Hamilton by 0.859 seconds.

On lap 17 Verstappen is up to ninth.

On lap 18 Russell is closing on Leclerc.

On lap 20 Verstappen passes Gasly for eighth, the mid-field challenging each other. Colapinto has a line of cars behind him in fifth.

On lap 21 Antonelli leads Hamilton by 1.5 seconds with Leclerc and Russell about one second gaps further back.

On lap 24 Leclerc passes Hamilton for second place. Russell makes an attempt on Hamilton but doesn’t take the position.

On lap 26 Hamilton retakes second.

On lap 27 into the first corner Leclerc takes back second place, and then Russell passes Hamilton for third.

At halfway distance, Lindblad spins at the hairpin and continues.

On lap 29 Russell is closing on Leclerc in second place.

Gasly and Colapinto pass Ocon for seventh and eighth.

On lap 30 Russell passes Leclerc for second place.

At lap 30 Antonelli leads Russell by 7.9 seconds followed by Leclerc (8.7s), Hamilton (9.6s), Bearman (25.4s), Verstappen (28.0s), Gasly (33.9s), Colapinto (36.1s), Hulkenberg (36.9s), and Lawson (39.1s) in tenth.

On lap 35 Ocon and Colapinto touch and they spin and continue.

Alonso retires in the pits.

Hamilton reports that he is still having some issues with power delivery at times.

On lap 36 Hamilton passes Leclerc for third.

Ocon is given a 10-second penalty. Russell is slowly making ground on Antonelli in the lead.

On lap 39 Leclerc passes Hamilton for third. Into the next corner Hamilton retakes the position.

At lap 40 Antonelli leads his team mate Russell by 6.3 seconds, followed by Hamilton (19.1s), Leclerc (19.5s), Bearman (38.4s), 1Verstappen (41.1s), Gasly (44.2s), Lawson (57.1s), Hadjar (58.4s), and Sainz (1m11.7s) in tenth.

On lap 42 Antonelli sets fast lap at 1m35.343s.

On lap 43 Antonelli complains that lapped traffic in “so bad”.

On lap 44 Lindblad pits for new tyres and rejoins 15th.

On lap 44 leader Antonelli sets fast lap at 1m35.332s, and leads Russell by 7.3 seconds with 11 laps left.

On. Lap 46 Verstappen’s car in running slow and he is out from sixth place, and retires in the pits.

Antonelli leads Russell, Hamilton, Leclerc, Bearman, Gasly, Lawson, Hadjar, Sainz and Colapinto in tenth.

On lap 50 Antonelli’s lead is up to 9.6 seconds. Russell says his tyres are gone.

On lap 54 Antonelli locks up going into the hairpin, perhaps a wake up call for the young driver.

At the chequered flag Antonelli wins over Russell and Hamilton.