VERDICT: Our F1 correspondent on a red-letter day for Mercedes in Shanghai.
Mercedes chief Toto Wolff was as delighted for Lewis Hamilton as he was for his personal drivers (Picture: Getty)
Toto Wolff is usually a robust nut to crack, however his delicate centre was totally on present as he watched the Chinese language Grand Prix podium ceremony with pleasure. He seemed up and noticed younger Kimi Antonelli, who joined Mercedes as a 12-year-old, holding again tears as he celebrated turning into a Components 1 race winner.
He noticed their earlier prodigy and now crew chief George Russell on the second step, with long-serving engineer Peter Bonnington amassing the constructors’ trophy. And he noticed Lewis Hamilton, now of Ferrari however who Wolff nonetheless very a lot considers to be one in all Mercedes’ personal, on the third step.
“It has been some time that I have been in Components 1, however that podium now was most likely among the finest moments I’ve ever had,” the Austrian stated, with a lump in his throat.
“The three of them, with Bono proper within the center who was with Lewis without end after which took over Kimi, making him into what he’s immediately. It is uncommon that I am overwhelmed, however that was such a second.”
All the pieces seems to be very rosy for his crew proper now, having loved a near-perfect begin to the brand new marketing campaign. Simply three factors have been dropped, after Antonelli fell from second on the grid to fifth in Saturday’s Dash race.
However he greater than made up for it 24 hours later with a powerful victory from pole, main Mercedes’ second one-two end in as many Sundays. They’ve now managed as lots of these in seven days as they did throughout 5 entire seasons between 2021 and 2025.
Antonelli is just the second teenager in historical past to win a Grand Prix, after Max Verstappen’s first win as an 18-year-old a decade in the past. And, impressively, he did it in a straight battle together with his way more skilled team-mate Russell, even when he was helped a bit of by Charles Leclerc slotting between them on the primary lap.
The Ferraris once more loved an outstanding launch although Antonelli, who had struggled off the road within the Dash 24 hours earlier, held his personal. Hamilton muscled previous to take an early lead however the younger Italian was in a position to maintain off Leclerc.
That was essential to his win as a result of, by the point the Mercedes automobiles used their superior engines to get again previous the Ferraris, Antonelli had the hole to Russell – he simply wanted to keep up it.
Mercedes’ previous, current and future had been all on the Chinese language Grand Prix podium (Picture: Getty)
And he did so with little hassle, aside from one lock up with three laps left because the adrenaline surged via his physique. “I gave myself a bit of little bit of a coronary heart assault,” Antonelli admitted with a smile afterwards. However Russell’s tyres had been gone and so it meant nothing in the long run.
Behind them, Hamilton and Leclerc produced a lot of the race’s leisure with a protracted however thrilling duel for the ultimate podium place. After a number of swaps of place and an outstanding show of robust however truthful racing, Hamilton was delighted to ultimately come out on prime.
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They had been in a position to battle with none stress from the McLarens that may have began behind them, had they not each suffered electrical issues on their engines earlier than the race. It meant a primary double DNS for McLaren for the reason that notorious 2005 Indianapolis race through which solely six automobiles took half.
Lando Norris, whose probabilities of a profitable title defence already look slim, stated: “It is irritating and disappointing, my first non-start in Components 1. It is robust to take, however that is life generally.”
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