SHANGHAI.- The 19-year-old Italian driver, Kimi Antonelli (mercedes), achieved his first victory in the Formula 1 by winning this Sunday the Chinese Grand Prixahead of his partner George Russell and of Lewis Hamiltonwho got on the podium for the first time since he signed for Ferrari.
Antonelli, who on Saturday became the youngest driver to achieve pole position in Formula 1 history, completed the perfect weekend.
“I am speechless, on the verge of crying. Thank you very much to the team, because they have helped me achieve this dream. I wanted to give back to Italy to the top and we have done it,” said the winner, the first Italian on the top of the podium since Giancarlo Fisichella in 2006, precisely the year of Antonelli’s birth.
The Mercedes driver becomes the second-youngest race winner in history. The record is held by the Dutchman Max Verstappenaged 18 years and 228 days when he took the Spanish GP in 2016.
The Italian progidio briefly lost the lead at the start, but once he got back in front, he controlled the pace to win with authority.
“It was a difficult start, I covered the inside too much and gave the Ferraris too much, but the pace was good and we finished ahead,” analyzed Antonelli.
Charles Leclerc He was fourth with the other Ferrari car.
Hamilton shines again
Hamilton, as he had already done in the sprint race on Saturday, got off to a great start and had taken the lead when the cars exited the first corner area.
Leclerc also made a brilliant start and managed to overtake Russell, who had started second on the grid.
The top four swapped positions several times before a safety car on lap 11 brought them all to the pits.
Once everything settled and the race restarted, Antonelli was leading ahead of Hamilton, with Leclerc third and Russell fourth.
On lap 29, Russell had overtaken the two Ferraris and launched himself to try to catch up with his young Italian teammate, who by then already had more than seven seconds ahead on the track.
The four-time world champion Verstappen prolonged the bad start to the season Red Bull when he was told to retire his car on lap 46.
The veteran also retired Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin), due to a mechanical problem on lap 34.
He is also Spanish Carlos Sainz Jr (Williams) finished ninth, the Argentine Franco Colapinto (Alpine) tenth and the Mexican Sergio Perez (cadillac) was 15th, closing the classification.
McLaren’s nightmare
Things turned out worse for McLarenwith the world champion Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri offside before the start.
The British Norris was stuck in the garage while the mechanics were working on his car and could not make it to the grid.
“It’s just irritating,” Norris exclaimed on Sky Sports television, pointing his finger at the engine block that works this year with a 50/50 split between thermal and electric.
“It is the first time that (I failed a start), it is difficult to digest, but it is the law of racing competition,” added the Briton.
The Australian Piastri did make it to the grid, but had to return to the garage a few minutes later with a different problem.
The start of the season is currently proving very complicated for the British team, current world constructors’ champion.
Last weekend, only one McLaren took the start of the opening race in Melbourne after Piastri suffered an accident on his way to the grid, meaning the Australian has yet to contest a Grand Prix this season.
Alexander Albonof Williamsand Gabriel Bortoletoof Audithey couldn’t start the race either.
