Leclerc finishes fourth as Antonelli wins Chinese Grand Prix
Charles Leclerc finished fourth at the Chinese Grand Prix as Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli secured his first Formula 1 victory ahead of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton.
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli claimed the first victory of his Formula 1 career at the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai on March 15, while Monaco’s Charles Leclerc narrowly missed the podium, finishing fourth.
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The 19-year-old Italian converted his pole position into a dominant win, becoming one of the youngest race winners in Formula 1 history.
Antonelli led much of the race despite briefly losing the lead at the start to Lewis Hamilton, before quickly regaining control and pulling clear of the field.
His teammate George Russell finished second, completing a Mercedes one-two.
Leclerc just misses out on the podium
Behind the two Mercedes cars, the battle for third place centred on the two Ferrari drivers.
Leclerc looked on course for a podium during the race but lost the position after a small mistake at Turn 14, allowing Hamilton to move ahead.
Hamilton held on to take third place, while Leclerc crossed the line just behind in fourth, continuing a strong start to the 2026 season after finishing on the podium in Australia the previous week.
Strong result for Mercedes
Antonelli’s composed drive over the 56-lap race confirmed Mercedes’ early-season strength.
Russell finished 5.5 seconds behind his teammate, securing the team’s second one-two result of the year.