A chaotic start to the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix saw multiple teams battling technical issues before the race even began. McLaren was unable to get Lando Norris onto the track, with mechanics working on the car right up until the start of the race, hoping to get the defending world champion out after the field. To make matters worse, just five minutes before the start, Oscar Piastri’s car was pushed back into the garage due to a technical problem. Neither driver was able to start the race.
Adding to McLaren’s woes, Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto too remained in the garage, while Williams replaced Alexander Albon’s suspension, meaning he too would have had to start from the pit lane – but neither car was ready for the start, and four drivers were out before the race began. Red Bull also faced a frantic final check on Max Verstappen’s car, with mechanics working on the rear wing system right up until the last moment, thankfully resolving the issue in time.
Unsurprisingly, the Ferraris got off to a strong start, with Lewis Hamilton leading Charles Leclerc into the first corner. However, the early leader, Kimi Antonelli, quickly closed the gap and moved back into second place between the two Ferraris. Hamilton couldn’t pull away at the front, and by the second lap, Antonelli was challenging for the lead.
It didn’t take long for George Russell to join the fight, overtaking Charles Leclerc by the third lap and then Hamilton in the fourth. By the fifth lap of the 56-lap race, the top six consisted of two Mercedes, two Ferraris, and surprisingly, two Alpines.
A safety car period was triggered on the 11th lap when Lance Stroll stopped on the side of the track with a technical issue in his Aston Martin. Most of the leading pack took the opportunity to pit, but Max Verstappen was a major loser, having been on the verge of a pit stop just before the safety car came out, resulting in a drop to 14th place.
When the safety car left the track on the 13th lap, the top 10 order was Antonelli, Franco Colapinto, Esteban Ocon, Russell, Hamilton, Arvid Lindblad, Leclerc, Nico Hülkenberg, Pierre Gasly, and Oliver Bearman. However, Colapinto, Ocon, Lindblad, and Hülkenberg hadn’t pitted, so another reshuffle was inevitable. This was compounded by Russell losing grip on his fresh tires, dropping back to sixth as the two Ferraris closed in, launching an attack on Antonelli at the front.
While this battle unfolded, the two Alpines and two Haas cars were engaged in a fierce fight for fifth through eighth, with Verstappen eventually joining the fray.
The two Haas, two Alpine and Max Verstappen battle on lap 19 – Source: Formula One
By the 25th lap, Antonelli had built a comfortable lead of four to five seconds, thanks to the battles behind him. Leclerc overtook Hamilton in the 25th lap, but the pair remained close, and the fight continued. Hamilton regained the lead from Leclerc in the 26th lap, and early in the 27th, the two Ferraris swapped positions again, with Russell joining the mix, overtaking Hamilton in the long straight.
The intense battle didn’t stop there, with Russell overtaking Leclerc in the 30th lap. At this point, Antonelli had an eight-second lead, pulling away as the others battled. Russell quickly found his pace, overtaking Ocon and Colapinto, and began to close on the two Ferraris.
While this battle was developing, the two Alpines and two Haas cars were locked in a fierce fight for fifth through eighth, with Verstappen eventually joining the fray.
Kimi Antonelli won the Chinese Grand Prix with a nearly flawless drive – Photo: Jakub Porzycki / Reuters
By the 53rd lap, Antonelli had a commanding lead of around 10 seconds. He had a brief moment of concern with a late brake, but managed to stay on track, losing only about 1.5 to 2 seconds. Kimi Antonelli became only the second-youngest race winner in F1 history, following Max Verstappen. It was also the first win for an Italian driver in F1 since Giancarlo Fisichella in 2006.
Russell finished second, followed by Hamilton, Leclerc, Bearman, Gasly, Lawson, Hadjar, Sainz, and Colapinto rounding out the points-scoring positions.
After two races, Russell leads the championship standings with 51 points, followed by Antonelli with 47. Leclerc and Hamilton are third and fourth with 34 and 33 points respectively. In the constructors’ championship, Mercedes leads with 98 points, Ferrari is second with 67, and McLaren is a distant third with 18.
The next race is the Japanese Grand Prix on March 27-29, but the F1 season will then be paused for a month following the cancellation of the Bahraini and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix due to the ongoing conflict in Iran.
