Teenage sensation Kimi Antonelli claimed his first Formula 1 victory with an impressive drive at the Chinese Grand Prix, leading a dominant one-two finish for Mercedes ahead of teammate George Russell at the Shanghai International Circuit, MySportDab Reports.
The 19-year-old Italian delivered a composed performance throughout the race to become the second-youngest race winner in Formula 1 history, behind only Max Verstappen, who famously secured his maiden victory at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix at just 18 years old.
Antonelli’s victory capped a remarkable weekend after he became the youngest pole-sitter in Formula 1 history a day earlier. Despite briefly losing the lead at the start to Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari, the young Mercedes driver quickly regained control of the race.
Hamilton surged into the lead off the line from third on the grid, while teammate Charles Leclerc slotted into third ahead of Russell. However, Antonelli reclaimed the lead on lap two with a decisive move on the back straight.
Russell soon followed through the field, passing Leclerc and Hamilton to secure second place as Mercedes established control at the front.
The race briefly shifted after a safety car was triggered by the retirement of Lance Stroll, whose Aston Martin car stopped in the runoff area. During the pit stops, Russell lost several positions after emerging behind the cars of Franco Colapinto and Esteban Ocon, allowing Ferrari’s drivers to close in.
Russell eventually worked his way back into second place on lap 29, but by then Antonelli had built a comfortable lead of nearly seven seconds.
The youngster remained unflappable under pressure, responding to Russell’s fastest laps with quick times of his own. A late lock-up with three laps remaining briefly threatened to unsettle him, but Antonelli kept control and crossed the line 5.5 seconds ahead of his teammate.
Behind the Mercedes duo, Hamilton secured his first podium finish for Ferrari after an intense race-long duel with Leclerc.
An emotional Antonelli struggled to contain his feelings after the race, marking a historic moment as the first Italian driver to win a Grand Prix since Giancarlo Fisichella at the 2006 Malaysian Grand Prix. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff praised the teenager’s performance, describing the victory as arriving “earlier than expected” following a flawless weekend.
