All articles tagged with #kimi antonelli
Kimi Antonelli headlines a Suzuka surprise, taking an early-season lead as McLaren and Alpine shine with Oscar Piastri and Pierre Gasly delivering strong drives. The weekend also delivers setbacks for Ferrari, Williams and Red Bull, while George Russell encounters misfortune that dents his championship momentum, underscoring a fraught Japanese Grand Prix for F1.
Kimi Antonelli clinched pole for the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, beating Mercedes teammate George Russell by 0.298s after leading most of qualifying; Verstappen was eliminated in Q2 and starts 11th, with Piastri and Leclerc on the second row, Norris and Hamilton behind, and Gasly, Hadjar, Bortoleto and Lindblad completing the top 10.
Kimi Antonelli claimed pole at Suzuka with a 1m28.778s in Q3, narrowly ahead of George Russell after a late setup change left Russell fighting a rear-end balance; Oscar PiastriQualifying third as Charles Leclerc failed to improve on final runs amid gusty winds and cooler track, with resurfacing adding grip variability and renewing calls for early-2026 qualifying tweaks.
Peter Bonnington explains that working with Kimi Antonelli requires re-learning basics, a stark contrast to the seamless communication with veteran Lewis Hamilton. Antonelli secures his first career win at the Chinese Grand Prix, with Hamilton congratulating him, and Bonnington highlighting Antonelli's high energy and ability to unite the garage. Bonnington also notes the process of relearning practices when guiding a rookie versus a seasoned driver.
Pole-sitter Kimi Antonelli converted his Chinese Grand Prix pole into his maiden F1 victory, beating team-mate George Russell as Lewis Hamilton secured Ferrari’s first podium of the year; Charles Leclerc finished fourth, Ollie Bearman took Haas’s best finish in fifth, and Verstappen, Alonso and Stroll retired amid a chaotic race.
Kimi Antonelli won his first Formula 1 race at the Chinese Grand Prix, becoming the second-youngest winner and the first Italian to win since 2006, as Mercedes secured a 1-2 with Russell finishing second after an early safety-car restart; Hamilton and Leclerc traded places in a Ferrari duel, and McLaren suffered double retirements before the start, with Verstappen also retiring late.
Kimi Antonelli will start the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix from pole, becoming the youngest pole-sitter in F1 history, with George Russell second and the Ferraris of Hamilton and Leclerc in third and fourth. The grid then features Piastri fifth, Norris sixth, Gasly seventh and Verstappen eighth, while Alex Albon starts from the pit lane amid a weekend of changes; note the grid is provisional until FIA confirmation.
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli topped the Day 4 morning of the 2026 Barcelona pre-season test with a fastest lap of 1:17.081 and about 90 laps. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) was second (+1.338) ahead of Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) on ~87 laps, with Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) fourth (+1.782) and Sergio Perez (Cadillac) fifth (+4.268). Only five cars ran in the opening hours, and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll was expected to join later.
Lando Norris won an action-packed Sprint at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, holding off Kimi Antonelli amid changing conditions and crashes, including Oscar Piastri's early exit, to extend his championship lead.
Max Verstappen led the second practice session at the 2025 Mexico City Grand Prix, outperforming Charles Leclerc and Kimi Antonelli, with the session marked by technical issues and strategic tyre choices as teams prepared for qualifying.
Mercedes has officially announced that George Russell and Kimi Antonelli will continue as their drivers for the 2026 F1 season, with Russell entering his eighth season and Antonelli his rookie year, both contributing to the team's current standings and future plans.
Mercedes remains committed to its 2026 F1 masterplan, with George Russell confirmed as a key driver and young talent Kimi Antonelli continuing his development, despite fluctuating performance and team challenges this season.
Mercedes has officially confirmed that George Russell and Kimi Antonelli will continue as their F1 drivers in 2026, following a period of speculation and negotiations, with Russell expressing pride in the partnership and Antonelli excited to stay with the team after his rookie season.
George Russell will stay with Mercedes next season, with contract details unspecified, leaving open the possibility of pursuing Max Verstappen in 2027; Kimi Antonelli also signed a new deal, indicating Mercedes' stable driver lineup amid upcoming regulation changes.
Mercedes has announced it will retain George Russell and Kimi Antonelli as drivers for the 2026 F1 season, with Russell continuing his successful partnership and Antonelli progressing in his rookie year, amid upcoming regulation changes and ongoing championship battles.