Shanghai, March 16, 2026 – The Europe Today: Italian driver Kimi Antonelli made Formula 1 history on Sunday by becoming the second-youngest Grand Prix winner ever, claiming a commanding victory at the Chinese Grand Prix at the age of 19.
The only driver younger than Antonelli to win a Formula 1 race remains Max Verstappen, who secured his first victory in 2016 at the age of 18.
Antonelli, widely regarded as the successor to seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes and teammate to George Russell, delivered an impressive performance by pulling away from a thrilling battle between Russell and the two Ferrari drivers to secure the win.
The young Italian shared the podium with his Mercedes teammate Russell and Hamilton, who now races for Ferrari after leaving Mercedes ahead of the 2025 season.
Overcome with emotion after the race, Antonelli said he was struggling to find words to describe the moment.
“I’m speechless. I’m about to cry, to be honest,” he said while holding back tears. “Thank you so much to my team because they helped me to achieve this dream.”
Mercedes Gamble Pays Off
Antonelli’s victory represents a major validation of the decision by Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff to promote the young driver as Hamilton’s replacement.
Antonelli joined the Mercedes junior program at just 11 years old, and Wolff’s decision to fast-track him to Formula 1 attracted skepticism from some observers.
Doubts grew when Antonelli crashed just 10 minutes into his Formula 1 practice debut in 2024, raising questions about whether the young driver had been promoted too quickly.
Reflecting on the decision, Wolff acknowledged that the team had also considered the risks.
“Many said it was just too early last year and obviously we asked ourselves that question, whether it was too much to throw him into this pressure cooker,” Wolff told Sky Sport Germany.
“After a year with ups and downs, he’s still young and we must forgive those mistakes. Now he’s in the second Grand Prix of 2026 and he brings it home ruthlessly. It’s good.”
Dominant Performance
Antonelli started the race from pole position, becoming the youngest pole-sitter in Formula 1 history. Although he briefly lost the lead to Hamilton at the start, the Mercedes driver quickly regained control and managed the race confidently from the front.
Once back in the lead, Antonelli maintained a steady advantage and remained in command for the remainder of the race, securing a memorable victory that signals the arrival of a new star in Formula 1.
