China - Race

George Russell might have won the Chinese sprint, but he missed out on the main event pole, giving his teammate, Kimi Antonelli, the chance to become the youngest ever Formula One polesitter. The two were set to start the 56-lap Grand Prix side by side, both eager to take the win and secure their position at the front of the field. 

Not all 22 drivers got the chance to start the race. Alex Albon, Gabriel Bortoleto, Lando Norris, and Oscar Piastri all opted out of taking part, leaving only 18 on the starting grid. Among those who remained, tire strategies were drastically different. Most of the drivers in the top half of the standings began the race on mediums, but around half of those starting lower than P10 decided that hards would be a better option. The two Red Bulls were the only drivers who opted for the softest available compound. 

As soon as the lights went out, Ferrari once again proved that their starts are incomparably better than those of the other teams. Lewis Hamilton easily moved into the lead, while Charles Leclerc improved up to P3, with only Antonelli separating the two from each other. The start also saw Pierre Gasly moving up to P6 with the two Racing Bulls improving through the field to end up right behind him. The less lucky contenders included Isack Hadjar, who spun after a fight with Oliver Bearman, and was subsequently told to pit, and the two Cadillac drivers, who made contact coming into the first turn. Antonelli managed to take back the lead on the second lap. Soon after, his teammate moved past both Ferraris, once again securing the Mercedes 1-2. 

The drivers quickly began complaining about tire degradation, and on lap 9, the first three of them, Max Verstappen, Liam Lawson, and Carlos Sainz, drove into the pits. This turned out to be a less-than-lucky call, as only a lap later, Lance Stroll stopped on track, bringing out a safety car and giving most drivers the perfect opportunity for a stop. All the top contenders opted to take it, and although Antonelli managed to keep the lead, P2 and P3 went to rather unexpected names: Franco Colapinto and Esteban Ocon. 

The safety car ended on lap 13. Hamilton immediately overtook Russell, Ocon, and Colapinto, finding himself in P2. His teammate followed his lead soon after, while Russell complained about a lack of grip. Although it did take him a few laps, the Mercedes driver did eventually begin making his way up the field, too. The Ferraris, in the meantime, began an intra-team fight for P2, swapping places every few laps and engaging in some very entertaining wheel-to-wheel. Although it did take a while for the dust of their battle to settle down, in the end, it was Hamilton who came out on top. 

During the Ferrari battle, Russell moved past both of them and ans set his sights on Antonelli. The problem was that while his teammate was dealing with Leclerc and Hamilton, the youngster had managed to build up an 8-second gap to the rest of the field. Although the Brit tried to advance, he couldn't do much to catch up. In the meantime, tragedies unfolded all over the field. On lap 34, Fernando Alonso, as many had expected, was told to retire his Aston Martin. He wasn't the only past World Champion who received the order. The same fate befell Verstappen, who drove into the garage on lap 46. Ocon did manage to finish the race, but did so with a 10-second penalty after a collision with Colapinto. 

Ultimately, it was the young Italian, Kimi Antonelli, who crossed the finish line first, becoming the second-youngest driver to win a Formula One race. Russell had to settle for P2, while Hamilton closed out the Mercedes-tied podium. 

Order of the grid:

1. Kimi Antonelli

2. George Russell

3. Lewis Hamilton

4. Charles Leclerc

5. Oliver Bearman

6. Pierre Gasly

7. Liam Lawson

8. Isack Hadjar

9. Carlos Sainz

10. Franco Colapinto

11. Nico Hulkenberg

12. Arvid Lindblad

13. Valtteri Bottas

14. Esteban Ocon

15. Sergio Perez

DNF: Max Verstappen, Fernando Alonso, Lance Stroll

DNS: Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris, Gabriel Bortoleto, Alex Albon