Italian dominates race in Shanghai and ends nearly two-decade wait for an Italian victory in the category
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Kimi Antonelli achieved his first Formula 1 victory this Sunday by winning the Chinese Grand Prix, held at the Shanghai International Circuit. The young Mercedes driver, who had already made history on Saturday by becoming the youngest pole-sitter in the category, controlled the race throughout the 56 laps and crossed the finish line in front to secure the first triumph of his career.
In addition to the personal milestone, the victory also ends a long drought for Italy in Formula 1. The country had not won a race since the 2006 Malaysian Grand Prix, a period so long that Antonelli had not even been born when the last Italian driver triumphed in the category. Giancarlo Fisichella had been the last winner.
George Russell completed the Mercedes one-two by finishing in second position, while Lewis Hamilton put Ferrari on the podium by crossing the finish line in third. The result also represented the end of a drought for the seven-time world champion, who had not been on the podium since Las Vegas 2024.
Charles Leclerc finished just behind in fourth place, followed by Oliver Bearman, who secured a solid fifth place for Haas.
Pierre Gasly completed the race in sixth, ahead of Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar. Carlos Sainz and Franco Colapinto rounded out the top 10 and the points zone in Shanghai.
The race began with several problems even before the start. McLaren had a disastrous start, with Lando Norris facing an electrical failure that prevented him from lining up on the grid, while Oscar Piastri also had problems and had his car removed from the starting formation. Alexander Albon also failed to start the race.
Audi also suffered a setback even before the race began. Gabriel Bortoleto experienced technical problems in the pit lane and ended up out of the Chinese GP before the formation lap, prematurely ending his participation in the race. Despite the frustration for the Brazilian, the German team’s weekend brought positive signs with competitive performance throughout qualifying and the Sprint.
When the lights went out, the Ferraris once again showed their strong starting capability. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc jumped ahead of the Mercedes in the first corners and took the lead positions of the race.
Mercedes’ reaction came quickly. Kimi Antonelli regained positions and took back second place in the opening laps, while George Russell began his climb by overtaking first Leclerc and then Hamilton to put Mercedes back in the lead of the race.
The start of the race also brought incidents in the midfield. Max Verstappen had a poor start and dropped out of the top 10, while Isack Hadjar spun on the first lap and fell to the last position.
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The first neutralization came on lap 10, when Lance Stroll stopped his car at Turn 1, triggering the Safety Car and shuffling pit-stop strategies.
After the restart, the race saw an intense battle between Ferrari and Mercedes for podium positions. Hamilton, Leclerc, and Russell featured in several overtakes and position changes throughout the race.
While the rivals fought just behind, Antonelli managed to maintain the lead with a very consistent pace. The Italian even extended his lead to nine seconds over Russell in the final laps of the race.
Still, the end of the race brought some moments of tension. Three laps from the end, Antonelli went slightly off track and lost about two seconds, but managed to return quickly thanks to the wide asphalt runoff area of the Shanghai circuit.
Russell also faced wear on his rear tires in the final laps, but maintained a comfortable lead over Hamilton, which allowed the Briton to manage second position.
In the final part of the midfield, Franco Colapinto still tried to attack Carlos Sainz in the battle for ninth position in the final laps, but the Spaniard managed to stay ahead.
Another important moment occurred when Max Verstappen faced problems and was eventually instructed by Red Bull to retire from the race in the final laps.
With no major threats to the lead, Antonelli started the final lap and drove the Mercedes to the checkered flag to secure a historic victory in Shanghai, beginning his trajectory of triumphs in Formula 1 and putting an Italian driver back on top of the podium after nearly two decades.
Formula 1 takes a break next week and returns with the Japanese Grand Prix between March 26 and 29.
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