Andrea Kimi Antonelli wins historic pole at the Chinese F1 GP and becomes the youngest in history

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, driver of Mercedes, took pole position for the Grande Prêmio of China of The 19-year-old Italian clocked a time of 1min32s064 and beat teammate George Russell by 0s222, guaranteeing Mercedes’s one-two finish on the front row of the grid. With the result, Antonelli broke the record for the youngest driver to start at the front in a race in the category, surpassing the mark set by Sebastian Vettel in 2008. The qualifying session brought surprises, with technical problems affecting some competitors and errors impacting intermediate positions.

Lewis Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, from McLaren, complete the third row in fifth and sixth places, respectively. Pierre Gasly, from Alpine, surprised by securing seventh place, while Max Verstappen, from

Qualifying session details

Antonelli opened Q3 with a strong lap and improved even further in his final attempt, setting a time that no one could beat. Russell faced difficulties after a car problem during Q3, which limited his options and allowed his teammate to take the lead without direct pressure at the end of the session.

Hamilton and Leclerc showed consistency throughout qualifying, with clean laps that guaranteed privileged positions. The Ferrari demonstrated good pace on Xangai, a circuit that favors traction and stability in low-speed curves.

Piastri and Norris kept McLaren competitive, although they were slightly behind Mercedes and Ferraris. The British team remains strong in the fight for the podium on Sunday.

Problems and surprises in the top 10

Gasly took advantage of a good setup in the Alpine car to exceed expectations and enter the top 10.

Isack Hadjar, Verstappen’s teammate at The young Haas driver showed progress on a demanding track.

Performance of Brazilians on the grid

Gabriel Bortoleto, from Audi, had an incident at the end of Q2 that compromised his fast lap. The Brazilian spun in the last corner and triggered yellow flags, which prevented other drivers from improving and left him in 16th place on the grid.

Alpine’s Franco Colapinto will start 12th after a solid session. The Argentine maintained a constant pace and avoided major mistakes.

Complete starting grid

Mercedes dominated the session, with Antonelli and Russell ahead. The Ferrari appears close behind, while McLaren and Alpine surprised in parts of the top 10.

Verstappen and his team will need an aggressive strategy in the race to recover positions. Pilotos like Gasly and Hadjar can benefit from clean starts.

Bortoleto will look for points in the intermediate zone, taking advantage of possible abandonments or punishments. The main race is scheduled for Sunday, starting at 4am (Brasília time), but at Xangai local time.

Expectations for the race

The Mercedes one-two indicates favoritism for victory, but the China GP usually brings variables such as tire degradation and possible safety car interventions. Antonelli will have the chance to convert pole into his first victory in the category.

Russell, even in second, showed speed throughout the weekend, including winning the sprint earlier. Hamilton and Leclerc can press at the start.

Drivers like Norris and Piastri hope to exploit tire wear to gain positions. Verstappen, starting from eighth, will need precise overtaking.

The race promises intense competition in the first laps, with the Xangai circuit offering opportunities for overtaking on the straights and high-speed curves.

The grid reflects the current balance of the 2026 season, with Mercedes at the front, but rivals close enough to threaten.