F1 2026 Chinese Grand Prix: Kimi wins, Lewis Hamilton breaks podium spell!

What a chaotic afternoon in Shanghai! The F1 2026 Chinese Grand Prix was a mix of historical milestones and technical failures. If you missed it, here is the breakdown of the madness. The lights went out and Lewis Hamilton reminded everyone why he's a seven-time champ. Starting from P3, he pulled a classic Lewis launch, slicing past polesitter Kimi Antonelli before Turn 1.

Calling it a 'Double DNF' almost feels too generous because McLaren didn't even make the start. It was a total disaster for the team. Lando Norris suffered an electrical fault in his Power Unit (PU) just as he was preparing to leave the garage for the laps to the grid, while Oscar Piastri, actually made it to the grid, but when it came time for the formation lap, his car refused to fire up.

With both McLarens, Alex Albon (Williams) and Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) all failing to start due to reliability issues, the grid looked noticeably empty. Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar spun off after a tight tussle with Haas’s Ollie Bearman, forcing the Red Bull driver into a massive recovery race.

Despite losing the lead at the start, 19-year-old Kimi Antonelli showed nerves of steel. He didn't panic behind Hamilton. By Lap 2, he used the Mercedes’ superior straight-line speed to snatch the lead back on the long Shanghai straight. Once in clean air, he was untouchable. He managed his energy deployment perfectly, building an 8-second lead by the midpoint.

Even with a heart-in-mouth moment running deep at the Turn 14 hairpin with four laps to go, he crossed the line 5.5s ahead of his teammate George Russell. Kimi Antonelli is now the second-youngest race winner in F1 history (19 years, 202 days), trailing Max Verstappen.

Max Verstappen (Red Bull) was also declared DNF due to an electrical issue with 10 laps to go. A miserable weekend for Max, who was struggling in the midfield before the car gave up.

Hamilton and Leclerc stayed out/pitted in a way that put them wheel-to-wheel. Their scrap for P3 allowed the Mercedes pair to disappear into the distance. The drought is officially over! After a grueling and winless first season with the Scuderia in 2025, Lewis Hamilton has finally secured his first Grand Prix podium for Ferrari. The high graining on the front-left tyre meant those who pitted early for the Hard compound (like Ollie Bearman) gained massive track position, helping Bearman secure a stellar P5 for Haas.

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