Race Report and Reflections
Here is Giles Richards’ detailed race report:
That concludes my coverage for today. The Formula One championship will resume in two weeks in Japan, followed by a break due to the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix.
Be sure to return for Giles Richards’ comprehensive analysis and post-race review.
Achieving his dream 🤩🥹#F1 #ChineseGP pic.twitter.com/tya9mvcREq
Lewis Hamilton shared his thoughts during the broadcast:
I have to say a huge congratulations to Kimi, I’m so happy for you Kimi and I’m so pleased to be sharing this moment with him.
I had so much fun, we had a great start but just couldn’t keep these guys behind.
It was one of the most enjoyable races I have had in a long time, if not ever. The battle with Charles was awesome, wheel to wheel but fair. I think there was one moment we did touch but it was subtle - just a kiss so it was okay.
A huge thank you to everyone at Ferrari for getting us into this position, we have a great platform to work off.
Race Results in Shanghai
Drivers who did not finish (DNF) include Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing), Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin), Lance Stroll (Aston Martin), Oscar Piastri (McLaren), Lando Norris (McLaren), Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi), and Alexander Albon (Williams).
Kimi Antonelli was visibly emotional during his post-race interview, expressing gratitude to his team for helping him realize his dream.
I’m speechless, I’m about to cry to be honest. Thank you to the team for helping me to achieve this dream.
I really wanted to bring Italy back to the top and we did today. Even if I gave myself a little bit of a heart attack with the flat-spot, we did it.
It was not an easy start, I covered too much on the inside and gave too much room to the Ferrari. But we were able to bring it home.
Heartfelt congratulations and embraces were shared among Antonelli’s father, teammate George Russell, his garage crew, and Lewis Hamilton, whom he replaced at Mercedes. It was a universally uplifting moment.
Kimi 🤗 LewisHugs all round for the first-time race winner! 🏆#F1 #ChineseGP pic.twitter.com/IGRvtHnMrl
Lewis Hamilton achieved his first podium finish while driving for Ferrari, marking a significant milestone.
We’ve got work to do, let’s keep pushing but I believe in you.
Sir Lewis Hamilton 🙌A first Ferrari podium! pic.twitter.com/l6NDihubQE
KIMI ANTONELLI WINS FOR THE FIRST TIME!! 👏🏆WHAT A DRIVE! 😮💨#F1 #ChineseGP pic.twitter.com/7qIcxU9pss
Kimi Antonelli’s Historic Victory
The 19-year-old Italian driver, after becoming Formula One’s youngest-ever pole sitter, led the race from start to finish in Shanghai, securing his first-ever F1 victory.
YES! YES MAN! WE DID IT, WE DID IT, MAN!
Although not the youngest winner in F1 history—an 18-year-old Max Verstappen holds that record—Antonelli’s accomplishment is remarkable for his age.
📻 "YEESSS WE DID IT!"Grande Kimi! 👏#F1 #ChineseGP pic.twitter.com/M1OEMFFz2v
George Russell finished second, followed by Lewis Hamilton in third, marking Hamilton’s first podium with Ferrari. Charles Leclerc finished fourth, followed by Logan Sargeant Bearman, Pierre Gasly, Liam Lawson, Isack Hadjar, Carlos Sainz, and Sebastian Montoya Colapinto rounding out the top ten.
Race Progression and Key Moments
Lap 55/56: Antonelli maintained the lead ahead of Russell and Hamilton, with Leclerc, Bearman, and Gasly completing the top six. Lawson was seventh, followed by Hadjar, Sainz, and Colapinto, who was aggressively pursuing ninth place.
Lap 54/56: Hamilton was closing in on his first Ferrari podium, reducing the gap to Leclerc to just over three and a half seconds.
Lap 53/56: Antonelli experienced a lock-up at turn 14, running wide but recovering quickly to maintain his lead, though it was a tense moment.
LAP 53/56Careful Kimi! 💨Antonelli locks up into Turn 14 and runs wide, but he continues on in the lead #F1 #ChineseGP pic.twitter.com/5Ivjjyqp11
Lap 52/56: With a nine-second gap to Russell and nearly 18 seconds to the Ferraris, the top four positions appeared secure barring unforeseen events.
Lap 51/56: The order remained Antonelli, Russell, Hamilton, Leclerc, Bearman, and Gasly.
Lap 50/56: Antonelli led by nearly ten seconds over Russell. Despite Mercedes lapping faster than Ferrari, tyre wear issues were emerging, with Russell reporting concerns.
Lap 49/56: Bearman held fifth place, leading the group behind the top Mercedes and Ferraris, followed by Gasly, Lawson, Hadjar, Sainz, and Colapinto.
LAP 49/56The Top 10 with six laps to go... 👇AntonelliRussellHamiltonLeclercBearman 📸GaslyLawsonHadjarSainzColapinto#F1 #ChineseGP pic.twitter.com/VdfBz7bOE5
Lap 48/56: Oscar Piastri reported an electrical issue related to his power unit, which forced him to retire.
It has been a while since I have watched two F1 races from the sidelines.
Lap 47/56: Verstappen retired due to mechanical issues, joining Alonso, Stroll, Piastri, Norris, Bortoleto, and Albon as non-finishers.
LAP 46/56Verstappen is slowing and he's told to retire the car in the pit lane! 😢#F1 #ChineseGP pic.twitter.com/f7Da1TDgOG
Lap 46/56: Verstappen’s dashboard failed after an attempted corner exit, signaling a significant mechanical failure and ending his race.
Lap 45/56: Antonelli led, followed by Russell, Hamilton, Leclerc, Bearman, Verstappen, Gasly, Lawson, Hadjar, and Sainz.
Lap 44/56: Lindblad, who had run the entire race on hard tyres, pitted, indicating the leaders would need to manage their tyres carefully to avoid additional stops.
Lap 43/56: Antonelli extended his lead over Russell, who was having difficulty lapping the two Cadillac cars ahead.
Lap 42/56: Both Cadillacs remained on track near the back of the field, with Bottas and Perez striving to finish the race for the new American team.
LAP 43/56📻 "This traffic is so bad"Antonelli is fighting through the traffic right now, with around a 7 second gap to Russell behind!#F1 #ChineseGP pic.twitter.com/FMhML835Ht
Lap 41/56: Alonso explained his retirement was due to losing feeling in his hands caused by car vibrations.
Leclerc expressed enjoyment of the ongoing battle on the radio.
This is actually quite a fun battle.
Lap 40/56: Hamilton reclaimed third place from Leclerc at turn one, with Leclerc immediately pursuing him again.
Antonelli held a 6.5-second lead over Russell, with a 12-second gap to the Ferraris. Bearman was fifth, followed by Verstappen, Gasly, Lawson, Hadjar, and Sainz.
Lap 39/56: Ferrari prepared a fresh set of tyres as Leclerc overtook Hamilton on the penultimate corner.
Lap 38/56: Broadcast commentators speculated whether Ferrari would instruct their drivers to ease off to avoid potential collisions.
Lap 37/56: Antonelli led comfortably ahead of Russell, with the Ferraris of Hamilton and Leclerc trailing. Bearman was fifth, followed by Verstappen, Gasly, Lawson, Hadjar, and Sainz.
Lap 36/56: Leclerc attempted to reclaim third place but Hamilton defended successfully. Hamilton reported power issues on the radio, which the team acknowledged.
LAP 36/56Leclerc locks up into the hairpin, and Hamilton is through for P3! 💨#F1 #ChineseGP pic.twitter.com/5ilsRre1HV
Lap 35/56: Russell was closing in on Antonelli but not at a pace sufficient to challenge the lead.
Lap 34/56: Alonso pitted, confirming Aston Martin’s challenging season continued with his retirement.
There was no safety car deployment following a collision between Ocon and Colapinto.
Lap 33/56: Some drivers on hard tyres began pitting, including Colapinto. Ocon collided with Colapinto after rejoining the track, causing damage but no safety car.
Contact between Ocon and Colapinto 😮Here's the replay of the contact between them at the first corner ⏯️👇#F1 #ChineseGP pic.twitter.com/4I0hh0TVai
Lap 32/56: Antonelli set the fastest lap of the race, benefiting from clear air and a strong car performance.
Lap 31/56: Leclerc’s slight lock-up allowed Hamilton to close the gap in their battle for third place.
Lap 30/56: Ocon pitted and rejoined at the back of the grid on medium tyres. Antonelli remained comfortably in front.
Lap 29/56: Russell reported Ferrari’s speed as a challenge while attempting to overtake. He eventually passed Leclerc to move into second place.
LAP 29/56Russell 🆚 Leclerc! The crowd are going wild with this battle for P2, with the Mercedes moving up 😮💨#F1 #ChineseGP pic.twitter.com/DEzubayMgn
Lap 28/56: Lindblad spun at turn 14, dropping to the back of the pack. Antonelli managed his tyres effectively to open an eight-second gap over the chasing trio.
Lap 27/56: Hamilton overtook Leclerc, who immediately reclaimed the position with a battery boost. Russell then passed Hamilton, moving into third place.
Lap 26/56: Hamilton and Leclerc exchanged positions multiple times in a fierce battle, with Russell observing from behind.
Lap 25/56: Contact occurred between the Ferraris during their battle for second place, with Russell attempting to capitalize. Antonelli maintained a four-second lead.
Lap 24/56: Lando Norris commented on his first Did Not Start (DNS) in Formula One due to power unit issues.
Just frustrating, it is on the PU side so the guys tried as hard as they could to get things sorted but they were unable to. It’s my first DNS in F1, so it’s tough to take – but that is racing sometimes.
Lap 23/56: Antonelli led, followed by Hamilton, Leclerc, Russell, Bearman, Verstappen, Colapinto, Ocon, Gasly, and Hulkenberg.
Lap 22/56: Verstappen was under investigation for an overtake on Gasly that involved contact. Gasly immediately reported the incident as unfair.
Richard Woods humorously noted that "The Alpine of Colapinto and the Haas of Ocon" sounded like antagonists in a Michael Moorcock novel.
Lap 21/56: Russell pursued Leclerc closely, who was defending his position. Hamilton was a second and a half behind race leader Antonelli.
Lap 20/56: Bearman and Ocon engaged in a competitive battle, while Colapinto maintained fifth place despite using the oldest tyres on track.
Lap 19/56: Antonelli led, followed by Hamilton, Leclerc, Russell, Colapinto, Bearman, Ocon, Verstappen, Gasly, and Hulkenberg. The top four began to separate from the rest.
Lap 18/56: Hamilton requested more power from his team, who responded they were addressing the issue.
Aston Martin reported that Lance Stroll retired due to a battery issue.
Lap 17/56: Russell overtook Colapinto for fourth place. Antonelli, Hamilton, and Leclerc comprised the podium positions. Colapinto was fifth, followed by Ocon, Bearman, Lindblad, Gasly, and Verstappen.
Lap 16/56: Leclerc passed Colapinto to secure third place. Hamilton applied pressure on Antonelli. Russell overtook Ocon for fifth place. Bearman moved past Lindblad, with Gasly ninth and Hulkenberg tenth.
Lap 15/56: Hamilton overtook Colapinto to move into second place, while Russell reported grip issues from sixth.
We’ve got no f***ing grip
Lap 14/56: Hamilton passed Russell, then Ocon, moving into third place. Leclerc overtook Lindblad and then Russell, marking a strong restart for Ferrari.
Lap 13/56: The safety car was preparing to leave the track. Verstappen was advised to conserve tyres for the remainder of the race.
Lap 12/56: Hadjar rejoined at the back after a second pit stop caused by an early collision. Antonelli led from Colapinto and Ocon, both on hard tyres, followed by Russell, Hamilton, Lindblad, Leclerc, Hulkenberg, Gasly, and Bearman. The safety car remained on track as Stroll’s car was removed.
Lap 11/56: During the safety car period, Antonelli, Russell, Hamilton, and Leclerc pitted. Antonelli rejoined in first place, with Colapinto and Ocon rounding out the podium positions. Verstappen, having pitted just before the safety car, was disadvantaged. Stroll was confirmed out of the race.
