Kimi Antonelli celebrated a breakthrough first Formula 1 victory on Sunday, leading a Mercedes one-two alongside championship leader George Russell at the Chinese Grand Prix from pole position.

The 19-year-old Italian became the second-youngest winner in F1 history, after Max Verstappen, who claimed his first Red Bull victory at 18 in 2016. Lewis Hamilton finished third, marking his first podium with Ferrari since joining the team last year and his first overall since Las Vegas 2024, while teammate Charles Leclerc took fourth after a spirited battle.

McLaren’s reigning world champion Lando Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri were unable to start due to car issues.

“Thank you everyone. Thank you so much. You made me achieve one of my dreams,” Antonelli said over the radio after crossing the finish line. “I’m speechless. I’m about to cry, to be honest.”

Nervous Final Laps

The race ended nervously for Antonelli, who locked up and ran wide with three laps remaining, reducing his lead over Russell to 7.4 seconds, ultimately finishing 5.515 seconds ahead. This marked Mercedes’ second consecutive one-two finish, following Russell’s win over Antonelli in the Australian opener last weekend.

Russell, who won Saturday’s sprint race with Antonelli fifth, now leads the championship by just four points, with 51 to Antonelli’s 47. Leclerc is third on 34, followed by Hamilton on 33.

“I gave myself a little bit of a heart attack towards the end with the flat spot on my tyres,” Antonelli admitted. He is the first Italian to win a race since Giancarlo Fisichella for Renault in Malaysia in 2006.

Top Ten Finishers

Oliver Bearman finished fifth for Haas, ahead of Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson. Isack Hadjar secured eighth for Red Bull after teammate Verstappen retired, with Carlos Sainz ninth for Williams and Franco Colapinto finally scoring points for Alpine in tenth.

Race Challenges

The Grand Prix began with just 18 cars, as both McLarens remained in the garage. Norris’s problem was known before the start, while Piastri, who crashed on his way to the grid in Melbourne, could not start.

Antonelli overcame a brief early setback when Hamilton and Leclerc initially led, taking the lead by the end of lap two and ultimately recording the fastest lap of the race.

The safety car was triggered by Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll, while teammate Fernando Alonso retired due to vibrations from the Honda power unit affecting his steering.

Meanwhile, Hamilton and Leclerc enjoyed an entertaining wheel-to-wheel battle before Hamilton pulled clear. “It was one of the most enjoyable races I’ve had for a very long time,” the Briton said.

The victory and Mercedes one-two cement Antonelli’s arrival among F1’s rising stars, while Russell maintains his championship advantage despite the pressure from his young teammate.