F1 | 2026 Chinese GP Qualifying: Antonelli becomes the youngest pole-sitter in history
Andrea Kimi Antonelli beats Sebastian Vettel to take the record for the youngest pole-sitter in Formula 1 history. The Italian finished qualifying ahead of teammate George Russell and Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari.
The qualifying for the Chinese GP delivered thrills from the very first minutes, with Kimi Antonelli securing his first career pole position, becoming the youngest driver in Formula 1 history to achieve this milestone. Mercedes confirmed its competitiveness with George Russell close to the top, while Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari completed the front row. The session was also marked by technical issues, accidents, and different strategic choices among the top teams.
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F1 Chinese GP Qualifying: complete results
| P | PILOTA | TEAM | TEMPO |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kimi AntonelliQ3 | Mercedes | 1:32.064 |
| 2 | George RussellQ3 | Mercedes | 1:32.286 |
| 3 | Lewis HamiltonQ3 | Scuderia Ferrari | 1:32.415 |
| 4 | Charles LeclercQ3 | Scuderia Ferrari | 1:32.428 |
| 5 | Oscar PiastriQ3 | McLaren | 1:32.550 |
| 6 | Lando NorrisQ3 | McLaren | 1:32.608 |
| 7 | Pierre GaslyQ3 | Alpine | 1:32.873 |
| 8 | Max VerstappenQ3 | Red Bull | 1:33.002 |
| 9 | Isack HadjarQ3 | Red Bull | 1:33.121 |
| 10 | Oliver BearmanQ3 | Haas | 1:33.292 |
| 11 | Nico HulkenbergQ2 | Audi | 1:33.354 |
| 12 | Franco ColapintoQ2 | Alpine | 1:33.357 |
| 13 | Esteban OconQ2 | Haas | 1:33.538 |
| 14 | Liam LawsonQ2 | Racing Bulls | 1:33.765 |
| 15 | Arvid LindbladQ2 | Racing Bulls | 1:33.784 |
| 16 | Gabriel BortoletoQ2 | Audi | 1:33.965 |
| 17 | Carlos SainzQ1 | Williams | 1:34.317 |
| 18 | Alexander AlbonQ1 | Williams | 1:34.772 |
| 19 | Fernando AlonsoQ1 | Aston Martin | 1:35.203 |
| 20 | Valtteri BottasQ1 | Cadillac | 1:35.928 |
| 21 | Lance StrollQ1 | Aston Martin | 1:35.995 |
| 22 | Sergio PerezQ1 | Cadillac | 1:37.524 |
F1 Qualifying GP Cina pole position, analysis, report
Q1 began at 08:00 with the cars on track immediately for their first attempt, except for the Mercedes, which closely observed their rivals. Among the most curious strategies, Hamilton and Verstappen chose to use medium tires.
The first significant benchmark came from Oscar Piastri, who momentarily took the lead with a 1’33”990. Subsequently, the Mercedes took to the track, immediately setting their pace: Russell clocked a 1’33”262 and Antonelli a 1’33”305, putting over seven-tenths on Piastri’s McLaren.
At the end of the session, Leclerc responded, setting the fastest time of 1’33”175 to take the top spot in Q1. Among the most significant difficulties, Hamilton risked a spin at Turn 9, but managed to control the car and complete a competitive lap.
At the end of Q1, Carlos Sainz, Alexander Albon, Fernando Alonso, Valtteri Bottas, Lance Stroll, and Sergio Pérez were eliminated, confirming the struggles of Williams, Aston Martin, and Cadillac on the Shanghai circuit.
Q2 started with the top teams opting for used soft tires for their first attempt. Russell immediately opened with a 1’32”523, ahead of Hamilton, Leclerc, and Antonelli. The Monegasque responded shortly after with a 1’32”486, while Antonelli improved further to 1’32”433, taking the provisional lead.
The session was marked by several moments of tension: Bortoleto lost control of his Audi exiting the final corner, hitting the barrier. Despite the accident, the Brazilian driver managed to return to the pit lane on his own. Also at risk of elimination were the Red Bulls, with Hadjar and Verstappen just a few tenths from the cut-off zone.
At the end of Q2, Gasly, Bearman, and all the top teams qualified for Q3, while Hulkenberg, Colapinto, Ocon, Lawson, Lindblad, and Bortoleto were eliminated.
Q3 delivered the most anticipated moment: the attempt by Antonelli, Russell, and Leclerc for pole position. Antonelli was the first to head out and immediately impressed, setting a 1’32”322, taking advantage of technical difficulties for Russell, who stopped at Turn 3 with a gearbox problem that limited his laps. After a few minutes, Russell managed to restart but without a chance to fight for the top position.
Antonelli then further improved his time, setting pole at 1’32”064, ahead of Russell by 222 thousandths and Leclerc, thus completing a historic front row for his young career. The second row consisted of Hamilton ahead of Leclerc, while the third row was monopolized by the McLarens with Piastri ahead of Norris.
The Chinese GP qualifying highlighted Mercedes’ speed and the impressive growth of Antonelli, author of his first historic pole. Tomorrow’s race will be very interesting: Russell and Leclerc will try to gain ground at the start, while Antonelli will have to manage the pressure of the front row. Tire strategies and engine reliability will be decisive on a circuit that already saw a Sprint full of overtakes and twists yesterday.
