Victory smells like teen spirit: Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One really shone in Shanghai

The 19-year-old from Bologna led a dominant 1–2 for Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team, guiding teammate George Russell home at the Chinese Grand Prix, while Lewis Hamilton ended his Scuderia Ferrari podium drought with a stellar fightback to P3.

At the start, the Ferraris surged past the pole-sitting teenager as he made a cautious getaway, but he responded immediately—reclaiming P2 from Charles Leclerc before seizing the lead from Hamilton on Lap 2. From there, he never looked back.

The fight for the final podium place proved to be the race’s standout moment, as the two Ferrari drivers went wheel-to-wheel. Leclerc and Hamilton traded paint and held firm in a tense yet fair duel, delivering a spectacular contest for P3.

A sell-out crowd reacted like fans at a football match, every move met with a roar. For reigning champions McLaren, however, the Chinese weekend was one to forget, as both Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris failed to make the starting grid. Electrical issues with their Mercedes-supplied power units resulted in a double DNS, leaving the team looking to reset ahead of Japan.

Elsewhere, Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso were both classified as retired, as the new-generation cars exposed a fair share of technical gremlins.

In contrast, Oliver Bearman impressed with a standout drive to P5 for Haas, finishing behind the Mercedes and Ferrari works cars. His performance—alongside fellow young talents like Isack Hadjar and Franco Colapinto—signalled the arrival of Formula 1’s next wave, a new dawn already taking shape.

Hamilton’s high point came in last season’s Chinese Sprint, after which he struggled to adapt to the Ferrari SF25 and its narrow, temperamental set-up window. But just two rounds into the 2026 season, the Briton has already amassed 33 points—a tally he last reached in 2021.

Now far more comfortable in the new car—one he played a key role in shaping—the seven-time champion has secured podium finishes with all three teams he has raced for across a remarkable 20-year career.

Up next is Suzuka Circuit—a demanding, energy-management-heavy track for this new generation of cars. Can Ferrari genuinely take the fight to the Mercedes duo? In the Land of the Rising Sun, the intra-team battle for supremacy is set to shine even brighter.

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Round 3 | Japan | Sunday, 29th March 10:30 | F1TV & FanCode App

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