Kimi Antonelli delivered a sensational performance in qualifying, storming to pole position with a blistering 1:32.064 and becoming the youngest Grand Prix pole sitter in F1 history at 19 years, 6 months, and 17 days, beating the record previously held by Sebastian Vettel. The Mercedes driver outpaced teammate George Russell by more than two tenths in a stunning session, showing remarkable composure under pressure to lead a dominant Mercedes front-row lockout.
What To Know
- Kimi Antonelli grabs pole to become the youngest ever to do so
- George Russell hits reliability woes but is still second
- Eliminated in Q1: Sainz, Albon, Alonso, Bottas, Stroll, Perez
- Eliminated in Q2: Hulkenberg, Colapinto, Ocon, Lawson, Lindblad, Bortoleto
Russell battled reliability issues during the session but still managed to salvage second place, while Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc secured third and fourth, respectively. Several big names fell early, with Carlos Sainz, Alex Albon, Fernando Alonso, Valtteri Bottas, Lance Stroll and Sergio Perez all eliminated in Q1, followed by Nico Hulkenberg, Franco Colapinto, Esteban Ocon, Liam Lawson, Lindblad and Gabriel Bortoleto in Q2. What a performance from Antonelli.
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2026 Chinese Grand Prix Qualifying Results
2026 Chinese Grand Prix Qualifying, 14 March 2026
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:33.305 | 1:32.443 | 1:32.064 | 15 |
| 2 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:33.262 | 1:32.523 | 1:32.286 | 13 |
| 3 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:33.522 | 1:32.567 | 1:32.415 | 19 |
| 4 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:33.175 | 1:32.486 | 1:32.428 | 20 |
| 5 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:33.590 | 1:33.130 | 1:32.550 | 20 |
| 6 | 1 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:33.535 | 1:32.910 | 1:32.608 | 20 |
| 7 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:33.788 | 1:33.003 | 1:32.873 | 21 |
| 8 | 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 1:33.417 | 1:33.098 | 1:33.002 | 20 |
| 9 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull Racing | 1:33.632 | 1:33.352 | 1:33.121 | 20 |
| 10 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas F1 Team | 1:33.687 | 1:33.197 | 1:33.292 | 19 |
| 11 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | 1:34.116 | 1:33.354 | 12 | |
| 12 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 1:33.634 | 1:33.357 | 15 | |
| 13 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas F1 Team | 1:33.974 | 1:33.538 | 14 | |
| 14 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 1:34.139 | 1:33.765 | 15 | |
| 15 | 41 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | 1:33.906 | 1:33.784 | 15 | |
| 16 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | 1:33.549 | 1:33.965 | 14 | |
| 17 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 1:34.317 | 10 | ||
| 18 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 1:34.772 | 10 | ||
| 19 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:35.203 | 9 | ||
| 20 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | 1:35.436 | 9 | ||
| 21 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:35.995 | 9 | ||
| 22 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | 1:36.906 | 6 |
Antonelli makes history with maiden pole in China as Mercedes secure front row lockout
Kimi Antonelli delivered a landmark performance in Qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix, becoming the youngest Grand Prix polesitter in Formula 1 history after beating Mercedes team-mate George Russell to pole position at the Shanghai International Circuit. The 19-year-old Italian secured his first career pole with a superb final lap, ensuring Mercedes a 1-2 front-row lockout for Sunday’s race.
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Antonelli eclipsed the long-standing record set by Sebastian Vettel at the 2008 Italian Grand Prix, with the young Italian producing a decisive lap of 1:32.064 in the closing moments of Q3. His performance put him 0.222 seconds clear of Russell, marking a remarkable milestone in just his early appearances at the top level of the sport.
Russell — who had earlier won Saturday’s Sprint race — faced adversity during the final phase of Qualifying. The Briton suffered a car issue that briefly left him stranded on track during Q3, forcing him to limp back to the pits while stuck in first gear. Mercedes managed to rectify the problem in time for a final attempt, allowing Russell to set one flying lap before the chequered flag, which ultimately secured him second place on the grid.
Behind the dominant Mercedes duo, Ferrari locked out the second row, with Lewis Hamilton narrowly edging team-mate Charles Leclerc for third position. The pair continued Ferrari’s strong form throughout the Shanghai weekend and will start directly behind the front-row battle when the lights go out on Sunday.
McLaren filled the third row, with Oscar Piastri finishing ahead of reigning World Champion Lando Norris, the two drivers placing fifth and sixth respectively after a tightly contested session.
Completing the top ten were Pierre Gasly for Alpine in seventh place, followed by the two Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar in eighth and ninth. Haas driver Ollie Bearman rounded out the top ten after another impressive showing from the American team.
Just outside the final segment, Nico Hülkenberg narrowly missed out on Q3 once again — mirroring his result from the Australian Grand Prix — and will line up 11th on the grid for Audi. Alpine’s Franco Colapinto qualified 12th, ahead of Haas driver Esteban Ocon in 13th.
The Racing Bulls duo of Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad completed the group eliminated in Q2, placing 14th and 15th, respectively.
Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto ended the session in 16th after spinning at the final corner on his last qualifying attempt, preventing the Brazilian from improving his lap time.
It proved to be another challenging outing for Williams, with Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon both eliminated during Q1 after struggling to extract pace from their cars around the Shanghai circuit.
Between the Williams drivers sat Valtteri Bottas, whose Cadillac placed 18th on the grid. The Aston Martin pair of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll also exited in the opening segment, finishing either side of Bottas in 17th and 19th.
Cadillac’s Sergio Perez completed the classification in 20th, leaving the Mexican driver with significant work to do during Sunday’s 56-lap Chinese Grand Prix.
Antonelli’s historic pole position set up a fascinating showdown on race day, with the young Mercedes driver aiming to convert his maiden front-row start into his first Grand Prix victory.
2026 Chinese Grand Prix Starting Grid
The Grand Prix starting grid, with or without penalties, after the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix Qualifying session.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:32.064 |
| 2 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:32.286 |
| 3 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:32.415 |
| 4 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:32.428 |
| 5 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:32.550 |
| 6 | 1 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:32.608 |
| 7 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:32.873 |
| 8 | 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 1:33.002 |
| 9 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull Racing | 1:33.121 |
| 10 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas F1 Team | 1:33.292 |
| 11 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | 1:33.354 |
| 12 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 1:33.357 |
| 13 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas F1 Team | 1:33.538 |
| 14 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 1:33.765 |
| 15 | 41 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | 1:33.784 |
| 16 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | 1:33.965 |
| 17 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 1:34.317 |
| 18 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 1:34.772 |
| 19 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:35.203 |
| 20 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | 1:35.436 |
| 21 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:35.995 |
| 22 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | 1:36.906 |
Race Guide
Race weekend: 13 March 2026 – 15 March 2026
Race date: Sunday, 15 March 2026
Race start time: 15:00 local time
Circuit: Shanghai International Circuit
Laps: 56
Circuit length: 5.451 km
2025 winner: Oscar Piastri
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