Chinese GP, Kimi Antonelli wins his maiden F1 race: Stats
What's the story
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli has won the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix. The Italian who had earlier entered record books by becoming the youngest pole-sitter in Formula 1, finished the race strongly ahead of teammate George Russell. Scuderia Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton finished third ahead of Charles Leclerc. For the 2nd successive race this season, Mercedes have finished one-two to dominate the early phase.
Information
A race to forget for McLaren duo and Verstappen
McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri couldn't start the race. Similarly, other drivers with DNF were Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen, Aston Martin duo Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso, besides Audi's Gabriel Bortoleto and Williams driver Alex Albon.
Twitter Post
An F1 GP winner!
KIMI ANTONELLI IS AN F1 GRAND PRIX WINNER! 🥇 pic.twitter.com/MHyCkYdg8b
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) March 15, 2026
Trio
Key podium numbers for the Merecedes duo and Hamilton
Antonelli secured his 2nd podium of the season and 5th overall. He made his F1 debut season season, earning three podium finishes from 24 races. Russell, who won the Chinese GP sprint race, sealed his 26th career podium finish and 2nd this season. Hamilton, who finished 4th at the season-opening Australian GP, took his 203rd podium in his illustrious F1 career.
Top 10
Chinese GP: Here are the top 10 drivers
1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) 2. George Russell (Mercedes) 3. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) 4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 5. Oliver Bearman (Haas) 6. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) 7. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) 8. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) 9. Carlos Sainz (Williams) 10. Franco Colapinto (Alpine)
Race
Verstappen retires; McLaren duo couldn't start
The race wasn't without its challenges, as the McLaren duo of Piastri and Norris couldn't start due to separate issues on each car. Bortoleto also failed to start, while Verstappen had to retire late in the race due to a manufacturing problem. Meanwhile, Alonso also retired following discomfort from vibrations in Aston Martin.
Dynamics
Here's how the race panned out
Antonelli lost his lead at the start but quickly reclaimed it on lap two. Russell took a bit longer to move into second place, passing Leclerc on lap three and Hamilton. The two Mercedes drivers maintained their positions until a safety car was deployed due to Stroll's retirement. Hamilton then had a fierce battle with teammate Leclerc for the first two-thirds of the race.
Race
A look at the race's key drivers
Despite a heavy lock-up on the back straight with three laps to go, Antonelli kept his cool and led Russell home by 5.5 seconds. Russell's chances of victory were hampered by an early safety car that allowed other drivers to gain positions. He had a difficult restart due to cold tires but managed to steer his way through, including the Ferraris.
Standings
Driver and Team standings after 2026 Chinese GP
Russell owns 51 points after two GPs, including the sprint. Antonelli isn't far behind and has 47 points. Leclerc (34), Hamilton (33), and Oliver Bearman (17) complete the top 5. Among teams, Mercedes have set an early tone with 98 points under their belt. Ferrari follows suit with 67 points. McLaren (18), Haas (17), and Red Bull Racing (12) complete the top 5.