Kimi Antonelli
Antonelli's late scare and Jim Clark thumbs-up seal maiden Chinese GP win
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In a dramatic finish to his first Formula 1 victory at the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix, Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli survived a lap 53 lock-up at Turn 14, holding off teammate George Russell by 5.515 seconds for a 1-2. The 19-year-old celebrated with a thumbs-up gesture, recreating Jim Clark's iconic 1967 US GP salute as promised.
Mercedes' unusual two-phase front wing activation during the Chinese Grand Prix was caused by a reliability problem, not an exploit, the FIA has accepted. The quirk on Kimi Antonelli's winning car drew questions from an unnamed rival team. Ferrari denied involvement in the FIA query.
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Former F1 driver David Coulthard predicts a cutthroat intra-team battle at Mercedes between George Russell and Kimi Antonelli following Antonelli's maiden victory at the Chinese Grand Prix. Russell leads the championship by four points after winning the Australian Grand Prix and Chinese sprint race. The duo heads into the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka amid growing title tension.
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli enters his second Formula 1 season amid high expectations for the 2026 regulations era. The 19-year-old Italian impressed with a podium in his 2025 debut and is seen as a rising talent by experts. Pre-season testing suggests Mercedes could be a frontrunner, positioning Antonelli for possible breakthroughs.
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Mercedes introduced a revised rear wing on the final day of Formula 1 pre-season testing in Bahrain, aiming to enhance airflow management. However, the session ended frustratingly for driver Kimi Antonelli due to a power unit problem. The team gathered useful data despite mechanical setbacks.