Chinese Grand Prix: Strategy, Speed and Surprises

Chinese Grand Prix 2026

19 year old Kimi Antonelli led another Mercedes 1 -2 weekend at the Chinese Grand Prix qualifying. This made him the youngest ever F1 pole sitter!

Russell salvaged second place after an issue on his Mercedes left him almost out of Q3. He was followed by ex-teammate Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri rounding out the top 5. Last year's champion qualified 6th.

Sunday was action packed once again, as Antonelli broke a few records in one weekend. The second youngest driver to win a race and the first Italian driver to win an F1 race since Giancarlo Fisichella in 2006. He lost his race lead shortly after the first few laps to Hamilton before regaining it again later on. Sadly neither Mclarens started this week due to electrical issues with both cars. This is another DNS for Oscar Piastri. Max Verstappen also had to retire his car on lap 45 due to a cooling issue.

Throughout the race it was a battle for the boys in red as the Ferraris fought each other for dominance. His third place finish saw a milestone for Hamilton as it was his first podium with Ferrari since he joined the team last season. Unexpectedly, one of last year's rookies, Ollie Bearman rounded out the top 5. 

Written by Lauren Moore