Shanghai, March 15 (IANS) Teenage sensation Kimi Antonelli claimed his first Formula One victory with an impressive performance at the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday. He beat George Russell to the finish line 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. However, Antonelli quickly regained control before the end of the second lap and never looked back.
He managed the race confidently, despite a late scare after running deep at the Turn 14 hairpin with four laps to go. He crossed the line 5.5 seconds ahead of his Mercedes-AMG Petronas teammate Russell, making him the second-youngest race winner in F1 history.
Russell finished strong in second place after struggling for grip following the Safety Car restart earlier in the race. He initially fell behind the battling Ferraris but worked his way back through the field to secure valuable points, allowing him to keep the lead in the Drivers’ Championship.
Hamilton completed the podium in third, marking his first Grand Prix podium for Ferrari after a strong battle with Charles Leclerc. The Ferrari drivers fought wheel-to-wheel multiple times during the race, with positions changing several times before Hamilton ultimately finished ahead of Leclerc, who ended the race in fourth.
Ollie Bearman delivered an impressive drive for the Haas F1 Team, finishing fifth. He took avoiding action on the opening lap after Isack Hadjar spun at Turn 13. Pierre Gasly finished sixth for Alpine F1 Team, ahead of Liam Lawson and Hadjar. Carlos Sainz Jr. completed the top ten, scoring Williams Racing’s first points of the season, along with Franco Colapinto.
The race featured plenty of drama, including a Safety Car period after Lance Stroll stopped his Aston Martin on track. Reigning champion Max Verstappen retired with a technical issue while running sixth for Red Bull Racing.
It was a tough day for McLaren, as Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri both failed to start the race due to separate electrical problems. Gabriel Bortoleto and Alexander Albon did not take the start because of car issues.
