Kimi Antonelli entered the world championship fight after he became Formula 1’s second-youngest winner in history with a victory at Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix — as Lewis Hamilton claimed the first podium of his Ferrari career.
Antonelli, at 19 years and 202 days, delivered a composed drive from pole position at the Shanghai International Circuit to dislodge Sebastian Vettel on the all-time list and enter the record books behind only Max Verstappen.
“I am speechless. I want to cry, to be honest,” an emotional Antonelli said. “I said yesterday that I really want to bring Italy back on top, and I did that today. I gave myself a heart attack at the end, but it was a good race.”
George Russell finished runner-up, 5.5 seconds behind his Mercedes teammate — a result that will serve as a warning to the British driver that he will not have it all his own way in his bid for his first world crown.
Behind the all-conquering Silver Arrows, Hamilton, who briefly led, finished third following a fascinating duel with Charles Leclerc in the other scarlet car, to end a 477-day wait for a podium and his first in Ferrari colors.
British driver Ollie Bearman, 20, impressed to finish fifth for Haas.
World champion Lando Norris’ afternoon was over before it even started after an electrical problem ruled him out the race.
On a nightmare day for McLaren, Oscar Piastri also failed to enter the race because of a mechanical issue. Verstappen also did not get to the checkered flag after he broke down from sixth place with 10 laps remaining.
Antonelli took advantage of Russell’s gearbox glitch in qualifying to land his first pole.
Hamilton started third, but he cleared both Antonelli and Russell at the first corner in his fast-starting Ferrari.
Hamilton’s lead did not last for long with Antonelli clearing the seven-time world champion on the next lap before Hamilton was soon demoted to third when Russell swooped past.
But the face of the race changed on Lap 10 when Lance Stroll broke down in his Aston Martin. Out came the safety car, and in came the leaders for fresh tires.
The safety car peeled in at the end of Lap 13. Antonelli was in the lead and would never look back, while Hamilton rolled back the years as he danced his way through the field, clearing Russell before passing Esteban Ocon and Franco Colapinto, both drivers on old rubber, and assuming second place.
Antonelli was Hamilton’s next target, but it was not long before he was looking behind rather than ahead. Hamilton was demanding more power from his Ferrari engine, and moments later, Leclerc was past him.
At the start of Lap 25, the scarlet cars went through the opening bends side by side. Leclerc held position, but Russell had now joined the fight. Over the next two laps, Hamilton and Leclerc swapped positions three times in a breathless duel, and it would be the Monegasque who would assume second.
Indeed, Hamilton was suddenly fourth, with Russell moving ahead of him, and then two laps later the Mercedes man had swatted Leclerc aside. Antonelli was 7.6 seconds up the road — too big a gap for Russell to close.
So the focus turned back to Ferrari and the battle for the final spot on the rostrum. Hamilton called on Ferrari to “give me something,” as he complained about a lack of battery power. However, on Lap 35, he had squeezed enough juice out of his machine to get ahead of Leclerc’s.
Hamilton set about keeping Leclerc at bay, but the scarlet yo-yoing continued with Hamilton falling back to third on Lap 39 only for him to get back ahead at the start of the next lap.
“This is actually quite a fun battle,” Leclerc said, but it was Hamilton who would have the last laugh as he kept third to claim his first podium finish since the Las Vegas Grand Prix on Nov. 23, 2024.
Antonelli had a heart-in-mouth moment when he ran wide at the last corner with three laps to go and lost two seconds. But the Italian teenager held his nerve to take the spoils.
Antonelli said to his team: “You made me achieve one of my dreams. Thank you.”
