Kimi Antonelli secured his first Formula 1 Grand Prix victory at the 2026 F1 Chinese GP. On Saturday, the young Italian beat teammate George Russell to pole position, with Russell managing only one lap in Qualifying due to issues and falling 0.222s short of Antonelli’s benchmark.
Antonelli carried that form into the race, delivering a superb drive to finish 5.5 seconds ahead of Russell in P2. Lewis Hamilton completed the podium, claiming his first top-three finish with Ferrari.
Emotions high after claiming the F1 Chinese GP win
Speaking during the FIA F1 Chinese GP post race press conference, Antonelli reflected on the emotions of securing his first victory in the Formula 1 World Championship.
“Yeah, I’m super, super happy. Such an incredible day and very grateful for achieving my first win. The team did an incredible job. The car is super quick and it’s allowing us to fight for wins. I’m really happy because they also helped me to achieve one of my big dreams. Yeah, just super, super happy.”
Antonelli’s 2026 F1 season so far
Antonelli’s 2026 season has started in impressive fashion. At the season-opening Australian GP, the young Italian finished runner-up to teammate George Russell, marking a strong debut result for the campaign.
He carried that momentum into China, finishing P5 in Saturday’s Sprint Race before delivering a commanding performance in the Grand Prix. Although he briefly lost the lead at the start, Antonelli quickly regained control of the race.
“Yeah, I mean, the start is still our weak point and to be fair I didn’t go with great confidence because my two previous starts were really bad, so I didn’t know what to expect,” Antonelli said, referencing his launches at the Australian GP and the Sprint Race in China. “But obviously, I covered a little bit too much on the inside and left too much space on the outside, so probably need to review that.”
After covering Russell on the inside heading into the opening corner, Antonelli left the outside line open for Hamilton, who took the lead on the opening lap. However, Antonelli responded immediately, reclaiming P1 on Lap 2 and controlling the race from there.
“But pace was still good, especially I felt good on the Hards, even though at the end I relaxed a bit too much and did a mistake which put a bit of pressure. But still managed to bring it home.”
Staying focused for the 2026 season
Despite the victory, Antonelli admitted that the race also highlighted areas where he still needs to improve, particularly with race starts and tyre management in changing conditions.
“There’s so much that I’ve learned, but first of all it’s never to relax too much because today it went well, but it could have been worse. So just always try to stay on point and keep the focus because today at the end I opened the room for mistakes and the mistake happened. I just need to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
“And then of course also just trying to focus on doing things right, procedure-wise, warm-up, bringing the tyre into the stint. I think it was a massive lesson. Also today was very cold and it was a good lesson to see what was the best way to keep the tyres in a good window.”
Appreciation towards Mercedes
Antonelli’s victory also marked a historic moment, as he is the most recent Italian driver to win a F1 Grand Prix since Giancarlo Fisichella in 2006.
The young Italian was quick to acknowledge the support of the entire Mercedes Formula One Team, both at the track and back at the factories in Brackley and Brixworth, as well as the role his family has played in his journey to Formula 1.
“Well, I’m flying home tonight, but definitely tomorrow I will take time to celebrate. Also, I think it will take a little bit of time to realise what has just happened. But yeah, super happy and of course massive thanks to the team, all the boys and girls in Brackley and Brixworth, and of course massive thanks to my family. Looking forward to the next one.”
With his maiden victory now secured, Antonelli leaves the weekend with growing momentum and confidence as the 2026 season continues.
