Kimi Antonelli made history on Saturday by becoming the youngest driver ever to secure pole position in Formula One, taking the top spot for the Chinese Grand Prix at the age of 19 years, six months and 17 days. The Italian beat the previous record held by Sebastian Vettel since 2008, delivering a stunning performance for Mercedes in Shanghai.
Antonelli’s achievement came despite a technical issue for his teammate George Russell, who could only manage one flying lap in Q3 after his car was stuck in first gear. Russell still claimed second place, while Lewis Hamilton took third for Ferrari. Toto Wolff, the Mercedes team principal, expressed vindication after facing criticism for promoting Antonelli straight into the team last season. “Many said the kid was too young,” Wolff said. “The kid did good today.”
Hamilton praised Antonelli’s accomplishment, saying, “It’s an amazing achievement. He took my seat and he hit it hard from the get-go. It’s going to take a while for someone to ever get close to that one.” Charles Leclerc finished fourth for Ferrari, with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris in fifth and sixth.
Earlier on Saturday, Russell won the sprint race after a fierce battle with Hamilton, who finished third behind Leclerc. Max Verstappen struggled with a poor start and could only manage ninth for Red Bull. The Chinese Grand Prix takes place on Sunday, with Antonelli aiming to convert his historic pole into a debut win.
