Shanghai, March 14, 2026: Teenage sensation Kimi Antonelli etched his name into the record books during qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix, becoming the youngest pole sitter in Formula 1 history at just 19 years old.

The Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team driver produced a sensational lap of 1:32.064, finishing 0.222 seconds ahead of teammate George Russell. Ferrari’s seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton secured third place on the grid.

Antonelli’s remarkable performance marks a historic milestone for the Italian rookie in the Formula One.

Antonelli Delivers Under Pressure

Antonelli first showed his pace by setting provisional pole in Q3 with a 1:32.322, putting him ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Hamilton after the opening runs.

Russell’s challenge was compromised when a technical issue briefly stopped him on track, leaving the Briton with only a single flying lap in the final minutes of the session. Antonelli capitalized on the situation with a superb final run, improving to 1:32.064 and beating Russell’s effort by 0.241 seconds.

Hamilton briefly looked like the closest challenger before Russell’s late run, but the Ferrari driver ultimately finished 0.14 seconds behind Russell.

Leclerc Leads Early Qualifying Battle

Earlier in Q1, Russell initially set the benchmark with a lap of 1:33.262, but Leclerc responded with a strong 1:33.175 to top the segment, continuing the momentum he built after finishing close to the Mercedes cars in the Sprint race.

Antonelli ended Q1 third ahead of reigning champion Max Verstappen, whose Red Bull Racing appeared more competitive compared to earlier sessions.

Tight Fight for Q3 Spots

The battle for the final Q3 places proved extremely tight. Rising French driver Isack Hadjar initially secured a top-10 position with a 1:33.352.

However, late improvements from rivals nearly pushed him out. Nico Hülkenberg missed the cut by just 0.002 seconds, while Franco Colapinto fell short by another 0.003 seconds.

Also eliminated in Q2 were Esteban Ocon, Liam Lawson, Arvid Lindblad, and Gabriel Bortoleto, whose final attempt ended in the gravel at Turn 16.

McLaren, Alpine and Red Bull Round Out Top 10

Behind the leading Mercedes and Ferrari cars, Oscar Piastri finished fifth for McLaren, narrowly ahead of teammate Lando Norris.

Pierre Gasly delivered another strong performance with seventh place for Alpine F1 Team.

Verstappen qualified eighth for Red Bull, followed by Hadjar in ninth, while Oliver Bearman completed the top 10 for Haas F1 Team.

Full Qualifying Results – 2026 Chinese Grand Prix