Kimi Antonelli Sets New Record In F1 History At The 2026 Chinese Grand Prix
Kimi Antonelli rewrote the Formula One history books on Saturday in Shanghai, becoming the youngest driver ever to secure pole position for a full F1 Grand Prix. The 19-year-old Mercedes driver posted a lap of 1:32.064 at the Chinese Grand Prix, beating teammate George Russell by 0.222 seconds to hand the Silver Arrows a front-row lockout heading into Sunday’s race.
Antonelli’s feat breaks a record that had stood for 17 years. Sebastian Vettel was 21 when he took his first F1 pole in 2008.
Russell will line up second despite a tense final qualifying session. His car shed battery power and lost gears mid-run, forcing him to stop briefly on track before nursing the car back to the pits. Mercedes mechanics resolved the problem in time for him to complete a quick enough lap to hold second.
Lewis Hamilton qualified third for Ferrari, with Charles Leclerc right behind in fourth. The result came a day after Russell had won the Sprint race in Shanghai, giving Mercedes a strong platform heading into the Grand Prix.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris took fifth and sixth. Pierre Gasly qualified seventh for Alpine. Max Verstappen had a difficult session, ending up eighth for Red Bull, one place ahead of his teammate Isack Hadjar. Oliver Bearman completed the top ten for Haas.
Chinese Grand Prix — Qualifying Results
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:32.064 |
| 2 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:32.286 |
| 3 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:32.415 |
| 4 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:32.428 |
| 5 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:32.550 |
| 6 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:32.608 |
| 7 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:32.873 |
| 8 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1:33.002 |
| 9 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull | 1:33.121 |
| 10 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | 1:33.292 |
With inputs from agencies