Our verdict on Antonelli's maiden win and Hamilton's first Ferrari podium

The 2026 Chinese Grand Prix produced a Formula 1 podium that will be remembered for quite some time.

But what should we take from Kimi Antonelli's first race win, Lewis Hamilton's first grand prix podium with Ferrari and a frenetic race?

Here's what our team thinks...

'Proper' Antonelli win was needed as Mercedes looks scary

Scott Mitchell-Malm

It was frightening to see just how much pace the Mercedes cars had over Ferrari when they needed to push.

Antonelli looking to close out his first win and Russell having enough time to try to catch him meant neither Mercedes driver was surely holding back in that final stint as they regularly put up to a second a lap on the Ferraris behind. 

Hamilton being almost half a minute behind Antonelli when this race had a safety car was an eye-opening example of how far ahead Mercedes really is.

At least Ferrari made a spectacle of it for as long as the drivers could. Plus, Antonelli gave us a different winner - in an impressive way. 

Russell didn’t just run out of time to do something about the gap, Antonelli was genuinely worth the win. Which upgrades his first victory from ‘good but was it handed to you?’ to a ‘proper win despite the circumstances helping’.

They all count the same, but the way Kimi got the job done - lock-up at the hairpin notwithstanding - bodes better for a Mercedes fight this year. Which we may well be reliant on. 

Overtaking should be harder than this

Gary Anderson

I suppose the best way to put it is that Mercedes has come into 2026 in the same dominant form it came into 2014 when these hybrid PU rules came into play. Nothing wrong with that, as it has done its homework better than the rest.

The Ferrari with its ‘advantage’ off the start line is a pain for those first few laps but once that all settled down and Antonelli got into the lead it was just about making minimal mistakes, keeping the gap as best possible and bringing it home. That little moment near the end when he locked the fronts woke him up, but in the end it probably did him good.

As for Russell, he did what is expected of him. A troubled qualifying meant he didn’t have a lap to fight for pole, but from second the Ferraris were even more of a pain for him. He had a good battle with them and again came out on top.

Ferrari did a good job. Seeing Hamilton back fighting for podium positions is great for F1. What we need to remember is that Hamilton was 25 seconds behind Antonelli, with Leclerc a further four seconds behind, so great starts but lots of work for Ferrari and all the other teams to do before they can challenge Mercedes.

As for the race or perhaps we should call it racing itself, it was entertaining. However, more worrying for me was the commentators getting into comparing it to Mario Kart.

Overall I enjoyed it from the entertainment point of view, but I think something needs to be done to make overtaking just that little bit more difficult and professional, so there's a greater chance for certain drivers to stand out more.

Back in the Ayrton Senna days, most drivers would say that when you saw that yellow helmet in your mirrors, it was not a matter of ‘if’, it was a matter of ‘how soon’ he would pass you.

Troubled feelings continue

Ben Anderson

I’m still honestly struggling to come terms with what these new regulations have done to Formula 1 in terms of the driving challenge: 'go slower to go faster' in qualifying is anathema to what F1 should be in my eyes and, although the battery-dominated racing creates a TV spectacle, it feels to me a bit like gorging yourself on junk food: fun at the time but leaves you with a dirty feeling afterwards.

But setting that all to one side, there were a few things that were feel-good to see in China: Kimi Antonelli’s touchingly emotional TV interview with David Coulthard after taking his first win; Lewis Hamilton back on the podium (and for the first time as a Ferrari driver); and the Ferraris in general making Mercedes’ life hard at the front.

Shame it didn’t last, but at least the red cars being such a consistent menace so far offers a glimmer of hope this season might not be completely overrun by Mercedes dominance.

Antonelli's arrival makes this one to remember

Eden Hannigan

I almost feel naive for getting carried away in the feel-good factor of this race, something that was largely absent in Melbourne.

Of course, there were still some parts of the racing that had that artificial, fabricated hangover from the first race. On the whole, though, it felt like there was a much more enjoyable element to the Chinese GP.

The main source of that comes from seeing a first win for any driver, but especially for Antonelli - who was the main character of the weekend from start to finish.

Multiple indiscretions in the sprint all built up into a maiden pole position and victory for the 19-year-old. It might be sappy, but his tears of joy in parc ferme were enough to make me emotional, too, and it felt like a defining moment for one of the hottest young prospects in the sport.

Hamilton getting his first podium after a year-long struggle at Ferrari also creates an interesting narrative to look out for as the season unfolds, and both drivers could have caused Mercedes more trouble if not for fighting amongst themselves.

Leclerc and Hamilton both enjoyed the battle, though, as did I. However, they allowed Mercedes to creep away in the end and let Russell in particular get away scot-free with what could have been a much closer fight to the end.

Regardless, I’ve come away from that race feeling much more positive than Australia, even if there’s some glaringly obvious issues with the cars still to be sorted.

2026 racing is...enjoyable

Josh Suttill

Look, qualifying in 2026? Drivers are being punished for taking more risks, so much lifting and coasting. That's really not too fun to watch.

But the racing? I'm not ashamed to admit that, even as someone who loves the old-school era of F1, it is really good fun.

It is very different to what came before. Sickeningly so, I know for some. But it's growing on me because I'm yet to see it rewarding anything but good, standout driving.

Hamilton's podium? Earned off the back of coming out on top in a multi-lap duel with his team-mate in an identical Ferrari.

It doesn't feel like a lottery when you look at the result and see Antonelli, Hamilton, Bearman and Sainz all rewarded for top-tier drives.

Accusations that 2026 isn't rewarding the best drivers just fall completely flat for me.

The tools are different to get there, and the biggest differentiator remains the quality of your machinery. but to me, the best drivers are still coming out on top if you look close enough.