China Pushes Top Gear: Spectacular Lights on World’s Fastest Circuit

Motorsport photo The second race of Formula 1's 2026 era in Shanghai offered more clues, more entertainment and more heartbreak, featuring a first-time winner and a black eye for the reigning world champions. 1. Toto Wolff's Antonelli bet pays off big - Filip Cleeren Toto Wolff has not wasted an opportunity to hit back at early critics of his confident move to promote 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli to a race seat last season, one year ahead of schedule.

And the Austrian has been totally vindicated. The young Italian learned a lot of lessons the hard way in 2025, but did so while Mercedes wasn't fighting for championships and is cashing in that knowledge and experience when it is. Things could have been different without Russell's Q3 problem, but Antonelli didn't put a wheel wrong to grab pole, reclaim the lead from the fast-starting Ferraris and then break clear into clean air when he could.

A lock-up in the hairpin in the closing stages aside, one of the most mature teenage drives we have seen since Max Verstappen 's early years has been rewarded with a maiden grand prix win. Kimi Antonelli became F1's youngest-ever polesitter on his way to a maiden grand prix win. Kimi Antonelli became F1's youngest-ever polesitter on his way to a maiden grand prix win.

2. Disastrous Sunday for McLaren - Oleg Karpov Fun fact: Oscar Piastri has completed zero racing laps in the two grands prix of the season so far. He did manage to successfully navigate his way to the grid this time, but then the team rolled his car back from it to the garage just minutes before the formation lap was due to start.