Chinese Grand Prix winner, Kimi Antonelli, on Sunday claimed his first Formula 1 victory after leading teammate George Russell to a one-two finish for Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team.
The 19-year-old Italian became the second youngest driver to win a Formula 1 race. He had also become the youngest pole-sitter a day earlier.
Antonelli briefly lost the lead at the start to Lewis Hamilton of Scuderia Ferrari before reclaiming it on lap two.
Only Max Verstappen has won a Formula 1 race at a younger age, after taking victory at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix aged 18.
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Russell finished second to maintain the lead in the drivers’ championship, four points ahead of Antonelli.
Behind them, Hamilton secured his first podium finish for Ferrari since joining the team at the start of last season after finishing third ahead of teammate Charles Leclerc.
Antonelli lost the lead at the start when the Ferrari drivers made fast getaways. Hamilton moved into the lead from third on the grid while Leclerc went into third ahead of Russell.
“The start is still our weak point. I didn’t go with great confidence because my two previous starts were really bad,” Antonelli said.
“Obviously, I covered a little bit too much on the inside and left too much space on the outside. So I probably need to review that.”
Antonelli regained the lead on the back straight on lap two. Russell later moved into second after passing Leclerc on lap three and Hamilton on lap four.
A safety car period triggered by the retirement of Lance Stroll briefly disrupted the race. After the restart, Russell lost positions but later recovered to finish second.
Antonelli maintained his lead and crossed the finish line 5.5 seconds ahead of Russell.
Reacting to the result, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said: “It is rare I am overwhelmed, but I am at the moment.
“The win has maybe come earlier than I expected. Last year, we said that it’s going to be a very difficult year with many ups and downs and mistakes.
“Then, bam, second race. He has controlled it in the front, he has driven very well today, so he’s probably a little bit better than the trajectory I thought.”
Hamilton and Leclerc also engaged in a race-long contest for position before Hamilton secured third place.
The race also saw several retirements, including both drivers of the McLaren Formula One Team who failed to start.
Lando Norris could not make the grid because of an electrical problem, while Oscar Piastri retired before the start after his car failed to start.
Four-time champion Verstappen also retired late in the race.
The next race on the Formula 1 calendar will be the Japanese Grand Prix scheduled for March 27–29 at Suzuka.
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