Teenager Kimi Antonelli said one of his “big dreams” came true in China on Sunday when he won a grand prix for the first time in his fledgling Formula One career.
The 19-year-old, who took over Lewis Hamilton’s old seat at Mercedes at the start of the 2025 season, swept to a maiden win at the Shanghai International Circuit.
“The team did an incredible job,” Antonelli told reporters.
“The car is super quick and it’s allowing us to fight for wins.
“I’m really happy because they also helped me to achieve one of my big dreams.”
Antonelli converted being the youngest pole-sitter in Formula One history into victory.
But the Italian is not the youngest race winner, that accolade belongs to Max Verstappen.
He was 18 when he won the Spanish Grand Prix in 2016 for Red Bull.
Antonelli struggled at the start when the Ferrari of Hamilton swept past him.
But once he regained the lead, Antonelli controlled the race superbly to win by more than five seconds from teammate George Russell.
“The start is still our weak point and, to be fair, I didn’t go with, you know, a great confidence because my two previous starts were really bad,” admitted Antonelli, who was second behind Russell in the season-opener in Melbourne.
“Obviously I covered a little bit too much on the inside and left too much space on the outside. So I probably need to review that.
“But the pace was still good and I managed to bring it home.”
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said Antonelli had repaid his faith in elevating the youngster to the seat formerly held by seven-time world champion Hamilton.
“It is rare I am overwhelmed, but I am at the moment,” said Wolff.
“The win has maybe come earlier than I expected. Last year we said that it’s going to be a very difficult year with many ups and downs and mistakes,” added Wolff.
“Then, bam, second race. He has controlled it in the front, he has driven very well today, so he’s probably a little bit better than the trajectory I thought.
“He was actually quite calm and jovial before the race but then, on the grid, you see the eyes.”
Lewis Hamilton ‘incredibly grateful’ to Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton says he is “incredibly grateful” to Ferrari for letting him guide the development of the car that put him back on a Grand Prix podium for the first time since 2024.
Hamilton’s third-place finish at the Chinese Grand Prix followed a race-long battle with teammate Charles Leclerc and what Hamilton called “just a kiss” of contact between the pair.
It ended a long wait for a finish in the top three for Hamilton in a full Formula 1 race since his blockbuster move from Mercedes, which took the win Sunday with the driver who replaced him at the team, Kimi Antonelli.
“To see them listen and put some of those things that I’d asked for on the car I’m just incredibly grateful to them for listening on that side of things,” Hamilton said.
“It just makes you feel more united with everyone because you’re moving in the same direction. I’m looking forward to getting back next week to (Ferrari HQ in) Maranello and seeing everybody. Big, big push.”
Hamilton’s first year with Ferrari was full of frustration as he and the team failed to get to grips with a car that was very sensitive to setup changes, except for a sprint race win in China a year ago. Ferrari failed to win a single Grand Prix all year.
