CHINESE GP: ANTONELLI TRIUMPHS IN SHANGHAI, ITALY BACK TO VICTORY IN F1!

The second round of the 2026 Formula One season delivered a historic day for Italian motorsport. Andrea Kimi Antonelli dominated the Chinese Grand Prix, claiming his first victory in the pinnacle of motorsport and bringing an Italian driver back to the top step of the podium after nearly twenty years.

The last Italian win dated back to March 19, 2006, when Giancarlo Fisichella triumphed at the Malaysian Grand Prix driving for Renault. With this victory, Antonelli ends what had become a long drought for Italian drivers in Formula One.

At 19 years, 6 months, and 18 days old, the young driver from Bologna also entered the record books as the second-youngest race winner in Formula One history, behind only Max Verstappen, who secured his first victory at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix at just 18 years old. The triumph came in commanding fashion at the Shanghai International Circuit, where Antonelli demonstrated remarkable composure despite a challenging start.

At lights out, the Italian briefly lost the lead to Lewis Hamilton, but the race soon took a different turn. During the second stint on hard tires, following the Safety Car restart, Antonelli raised the pace and began building the decisive gap. Thanks to outstanding tire management and consistently strong race pace, the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team driver gradually pulled away from the field and secured a commanding victory.

To complete a perfect weekend, Antonelli also set the fastest lap of the race, earning the first “hat trick” of his career — pole position, race win, and fastest lap in the same weekend — and sending a clear message to teammate George Russell in the championship battle.

It was the second consecutive one-two finish to start the season for Mercedes. Russell crossed the line in second place, limiting the damage in the championship fight and maintaining his lead in the drivers’ standings.

Behind them, the third step of the podium went to the Scuderia Ferrari of Hamilton. The seven-time world champion finally secured his first top-three finish with Ferrari, ending a frustrating streak that had seen him miss the podium in the races since his move to Maranello. Hamilton finished ahead of teammate Charles Leclerc after one of the race’s most exciting battles, featuring multiple overtakes and counter-overtakes throughout the Grand Prix.

Just behind the leading group, a standout performance came from Oliver Bearman, who finished fifth with the Haas F1 Team, ahead of Pierre Gasly with Alpine F1 Team, Liam Lawson driving for Racing Bulls, Isack Hadjar with Red Bull Racing, Carlos Sainz Jr. for Williams Racing, and the other Alpine of Franco Colapinto completing the points-paying positions.

It was instead a disappointing day for Verstappen, who retired due to reliability issues with Red Bull, while the two McLarens of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris were unable to even start the race, capping off an extremely difficult weekend for the Woking-based team.

But the spotlight in Shanghai belongs entirely to Antonelli: a dominant, authoritative victory filled with historic significance, one that could represent not only the beginning of a great career but also the return of Italy among the protagonists of Formula One.

© Cavalieri Garage & Co.