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Teen Sensation Antonelli Wins Chinese GP; Hamilton's First Ferrari Podium

Teenage driver Kimi Antonelli claimed his maiden Formula 1 victory at the Chinese Grand Prix, becoming the second-youngest winner in the sport's history. Lewis Hamilton celebrated his first podium finish for Scuderia Ferrari by securing third place. George Russell finished second to maintain his lead in the Drivers' Championship, while reigning champion Max Verstappen retired from the race. The event was marked by drama, including a Safety Car period and both McLaren drivers failing to start due to electrical issues.

Key Points: Antonelli Wins Chinese GP, Hamilton's First Ferrari Podium

  • Antonelli becomes second-youngest F1 winner
  • Hamilton scores first podium for Ferrari
  • Russell retains Drivers' Championship lead
  • Verstappen retires with technical issue
  • McLaren duo fail to start
2 min read

Formula 1: Antonelli wins Chinese GP; Hamilton celebrates first podium with Ferrari

Kimi Antonelli becomes second-youngest F1 winner at Chinese GP. Lewis Hamilton secures first podium for Ferrari. George Russell leads championship.

"He managed the race confidently, despite a late scare after running deep at the Turn 14 hairpin with four laps to go."

Shanghai, March 15

Teenage sensation Kimi Antonelli claimed his first Formula One victory with an impressive performance at the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday. He beat George Russell to the finish line while Lewis Hamilton celebrated his first podium for Scuderia Ferrari in Shanghai.

The 19-year-old Italian, who became the youngest pole sitter in Formula One history during qualifying, briefly lost the lead at the start when Hamilton surged ahead from third on the grid. However, Antonelli quickly regained control before the end of the second lap and never looked back.

He managed the race confidently, despite a late scare after running deep at the Turn 14 hairpin with four laps to go. He crossed the line 5.5 seconds ahead of his Mercedes-AMG Petronas teammate Russell, making him the second-youngest race winner in F1 history.

Russell finished strong in second place after struggling for grip following the Safety Car restart earlier in the race. He initially fell behind the battling Ferraris but worked his way back through the field to secure valuable points, allowing him to keep the lead in the Drivers' Championship.

Hamilton completed the podium in third, marking his first Grand Prix podium for Ferrari after a strong battle with Charles Leclerc. The Ferrari drivers fought wheel-to-wheel multiple times during the race, with positions changing several times before Hamilton ultimately finished ahead of Leclerc, who ended the race in fourth.

Ollie Bearman delivered an impressive drive for the Haas F1 Team, finishing fifth. He took avoiding action on the opening lap after Isack Hadjar spun at Turn 13. Pierre Gasly finished sixth for Alpine F1 Team, ahead of Liam Lawson and Hadjar. Carlos Sainz Jr. completed the top ten, scoring Williams Racing's first points of the season, along with Franco Colapinto.

The race featured plenty of drama, including a Safety Car period after Lance Stroll stopped his Aston Martin on track. Reigning champion Max Verstappen retired with a technical issue while running sixth for Red Bull Racing.

It was a tough day for McLaren, as Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri both failed to start the race due to separate electrical problems. Gabriel Bortoleto and Alexander Albon did not take the start because of car issues.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
As a new F1 fan from India, this was thrilling! The young drivers are so exciting. A bit sad for Norris and Piastri though, their DNFs really changed the race. Hope McLaren sorts it out soon.
A
Ananya R
Hamilton in red on the podium feels so right! 🏆 A historic moment. Antonelli was brilliant, no doubt, but the Ferrari battle was the highlight for me. Leclerc must be gutted.
V
Vikram M
Great result for the championship. Russell still leads! But honestly, the number of cars with technical issues is worrying. F1 needs to look into reliability. So many fans in India stayed up late to watch, only to see cars breaking down before the start.
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Karthik V
Bearman P5 for Haas! That's a fantastic result. Shows the midfield is super competitive this year. Makes me wish we had an Indian driver in the mix. Jehan Daruvala, maybe next year? 🤞
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Michael C
Respectfully, while Antonelli drove well, the race felt a bit processional after he regained the lead. The real drama was in the midfield. The Safety Car helped, but the DRS trains were a bit boring to watch. Still, a good Sunday morning show for us here!

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