The Formula 1 weekend in Shanghai brought drama, historic moments and a clear confirmation of who made the best use of the new technical rules at the start of the 2026 season. After George Russell confirmed his status as the first favorite by winning in Australia and celebrating in Saturday’s sprint race in China, on Sunday all eyes were on his teammate, the teenage sensation Kimi Antonelli. On Saturday, the young Italian became the youngest winner of pole position in Formula 1 history, breaking Sebastian Vettel’s record from 2008, and thus created the perfect platform for the race of his career.
The main race brought excitement right from the start. The Ferrari drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, got off to a fantastic start and Hamilton managed to take the lead from the Mercedes duo. However, the raw speed of the Mercedes car soon came to the fore. Antonelli and Russell waited patiently for their chance and, thanks to their superior pace, regained the first two positions. Once back at the front, Antonelli showed incredible maturity, controlling the race and building a lead. Behind him, Russell led a battle with the Ferrari drivers, ensuring Mercedes took their second double win of the season.
Domination by Mercedes and first Ferrari podium for Hamilton
As Antonelli raced towards his first victory, becoming the first Italian to win a Grand Prix race since 2006, the battle for third place was in full swing. Lewis Hamilton, in his second season for Ferrari, had a fierce duel with his teammate Charles Leclerc. The seven-time world champion eventually managed to hold on to take third place, his first podium in the red car since moving to Maranello at the start of 2025.
“I’m speechless, honestly, I’m about to cry,” said an emotional Antonelli after the race. “Thanks to the team for helping me achieve this dream. I really wanted to bring Italy back to the top and today we did it. It wasn’t an easy start, I covered too much on the inside and left too much space for Ferrari, but we managed to get everything back in place.”
For other teams, the Chinese Grand Prix was forgettable. McLaren had a disastrous weekend because none of their cars managed to start the race due to technical problems. Reigning champion Max Verstappen, who previously spoke of the need to “survive” in the new era of Formula 1, retired with just nine laps to go. Problems befell Aston Martin, whose drivers, Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, also ended the race prematurely. On the other hand, Oliver Bearman in Haas continues to impress, finishing in an excellent fifth place.
The dominance of Mercedes and Ferrari at the beginning of the season suggests that we are in for a two-way fight for the constructors’ title, while the others, including Red Bull, are looking for solutions to new challenges. The next race is on March 29 in Japan.
The final standings of the 2026 Chinese GP.
| Position | Driver | Tim | Points |
| 1. | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 25 |
| 2. | George Russell | Mercedes | 18 |
| 3. | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 15 |
| 4. | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 12 |
| 5. | Oliver Bearman | Haas F1 Team | 10 |
| 6. | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 8 |
| 7. | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 6 |
| 8. | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull Racing | 4 |
| 9. | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 2 |
| 10. | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 1 |
Ranking of drivers in the championship after the Chinese Grand Prix
| Position | Driver (Team) | Points |
| 1. | George Russell (Mercedes) | 51 |
| 2. | Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) | 47 |
| 3. | Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) | 34 |
| 4. | Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) | 33 |
| 5. | Oliver Bearman (Haas F1 Team) | 17 |
| 6. | Lando Norris (McLaren) | 15 |
| 7. | Pierre Gasly (Alpine) | 9 |
| 8. | Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) | 8 |
| 9. | Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) | 8 |
| 10. | Isack Hadjar (Red Bull Racing) | 4 |
| 11. | Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) | 4 |
| 12. | Oscar Piastri (McLaren) | 3 |
| 13. | Carlos Sainz (Williams) | 2 |
| 14. | Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) | 2 |
| 15. | Franco Colapinto (Alpine) | 1 |
Full results and standings can be found at official website of Formula 1.
How did fans on Reedit comment on this race?
Reactions on Reddit, the epicenter of the online F1 community, were immediate and explosive, celebrating the young prodigy and the veteran in red.
Déjà vu: Mercedes dominance and “PTSD” fans
The new technical rules for 2026 were supposed to bring uncertainty, but they seem to have brought back memories of the not-so-distant past. Mercedes displayed terrifying speed in Shanghai, prompting many comparisons from the Reddit community to the start of the hybrid era in 2014. The most popular comment on the post, with over seven thousand votes, sarcastically summed up the race: “Mercedes 1-2-3 as we all predicted”. Another user added: “Seeing the Mercedes logo and 17 seconds behind third place gives me PTSD.” Many agreed that the season was irresistibly reminiscent of 2015: Mercedes at the top, Ferrari as the second best team, and Red Bull struggling with technical problems.
A particularly amusing narrative among the comments was that of Mercedes boss Toto Wolff. With his current driver (Russell), future star (Antonelli) and former champion (Hamilton) finishing on the podium, users joked that it was a perfect weekend for him. One comment reads: “Toto is on top of the world. My three drivers lol,” while another highlights the poetic nature of the stand: “Future, present and past fill the stand.”
A meeting of generations: The debut of teenagers and the celebration of veterans
Although the dominance of Mercedes was the main theme, the hearts of the fans were stolen by the drivers in first and third place. Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who on Saturday became the youngest winner of the pole position in history, at only 19 years old became the second youngest winner of the Grand Prix, right after Max Verstappen. His victory, the first for an Italian in twenty years, caused a wave of enthusiasm. “Congratulations to Kimi on his first win!! 19 years old, what a driver!” reads one of the highly rated comments. The emotions were also visible on the track, with one user commenting: “Kimi in tears during the post-race interview, so cute. So proud.”
On the other hand, Lewis Hamilton finally achieved what Ferrari fans were waiting for: his first podium for the legendary Italian team. His celebration was infectious, with fans particularly praising his battle with team-mate Charles Leclerc. A comment with almost five thousand votes points out: “I can’t believe some people asked for team orders from Ferrari. Great fight from Lewis and Charles. So happy to see Hamilton on the podium!”. Fans also noted Leclerc’s positive reaction on the radio after the intense duel, where he declared: “Yeah, this was fun!”, which was hailed as an example of true sportsmanship. While some struggled, such as four-time champion Max Verstappen who retired due to a breakdown and McLaren whose cars did not even start, the race in China offered incredible stories. With races canceled in the Middle East, these points become even more valuable, and the new F1 era, while seemingly predictable at the top, has already delivered memorable moments.