F1 2026 Chinese GP: Antonelli Takes First Career Win, Russell Second, Hamilton on the Podium

The 2026 Chinese Grand Prix, highlighted by a breakthrough victory for young talent Kimi Antonelli. The Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team driver secured the first win of his Formula 1 career after a dramatic race. His teammate George Russell finished second, while Lewis Hamilton claimed third place, marking his first Grand Prix podium with Scuderia Ferrari.

Even before the race began, unexpected developments occurred. Both drivers from McLaren were set to start from the pit lane, leaving the third row of the grid empty. However, the McLaren drivers ultimately failed to start the race due to technical problems. Gabriel Bortoleto and Alex Albon were also unable to take the start.

When the five lights went out, pole sitter Kimi Antonelli struggled to maintain his lead, allowing Lewis Hamilton to take the lead early on. Charles Leclerc moved into third place while George Russell dropped to fourth. Starting from eighth, Max Verstappen had a poor launch and lost several positions.

Early in the race Isack Hadjar spun and briefly went off track but managed to recover and continue. Red Bull Racing called him into the pits shortly afterward as a precaution. On lap two, Antonelli made a decisive move to reclaim the lead from Hamilton, while Russell overtook Leclerc to move up the order.

As the race progressed, the Mercedes drivers regained control of the front positions after passing the Ferrari drivers. Hamilton ran third while Leclerc followed in fourth, though Hamilton began to struggle to match Russell’s pace.

The race changed again around lap ten when Lance Stroll stopped on track due to a battery problem, triggering a Safety Car. The leading Mercedes and Ferrari drivers took advantage of the situation to make their pit stops. When racing resumed, Antonelli maintained his lead.

During the restart Russell locked up his brakes and was overtaken by Hamilton. The temporary running order became Antonelli, Franco Colapinto, Esteban Ocon, Hamilton, and Russell. Soon after, Russell found himself battling both Hamilton and Leclerc again.

Midway through the race, the Ferrari drivers also fought each other. On lap 24, Charles Leclerc overtook Hamilton to move into second place, though the battle between the two continued for several laps. Meanwhile Russell was waiting for an opportunity and eventually passed Hamilton as well.

A brief yellow flag was triggered on lap 33 following contact between Esteban Ocon and Franco Colapinto, but both drivers were able to continue. At the same time, Fernando Alonso retired from the race after being instructed by Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team to bring the car back to the garage.

In the final phase, the fight for the podium intensified. Lewis Hamilton managed to pass Charles Leclerc again to secure third place. Shortly before the end, Max Verstappen was instructed to retire the car. Antonelli briefly ran wide after a small lock-up but kept his lead comfortably.

At the checkered flag, Kimi Antonelli crossed the finish line about seven seconds ahead of teammate George Russell, claiming his first-ever Formula 1 victory. Hamilton finished third to secure his first Ferrari podium, followed by Leclerc in fourth place.

Further down the order, Oliver Bearman delivered an impressive performance to finish fifth for Haas. Pierre Gasly came sixth and Liam Lawson seventh. The top ten was completed by Isack Hadjar, Carlos Sainz, and Franco Colapinto.