F1 Chinese GP live commentary and updates - Race day
Follow live updates of the Chinese Grand Prix for round two of F1 2026
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The Italian national anthem is now playing on the podium. The first time since Ferrari won Mexico in 2024.
Hamilton: "Huge contratulations to Kimi, I'm so, so happy for you buddy. I had so much fun, we had a great start, wasn't able to keep these guys behind but stayed in the fight. That battle with Charles at the end was awesome."
Russell: "Huge congratulations to Kimi because it's always special to win your first race. Pleased to be standing on the podium with him and this guy [Hamilton] as well."
A teary Antonelli in parc ferme: "I'm speechless, I'm about to cry. Thank you so much to my team, because they helped me to achieve this dream. I said yesterday that I really want to bring Italy back on top and we did today."
Antonelli is the first Italian to win a grand prix since Giancarlo Fisichella at Malaysia in 2006.
Podium: race winner Giancarlo Fisichella, Renault F1 Team, Fernando Alonso, Renault F1 Team, third place Jenson Button, Honda Racing
Photo by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Images
Bonnington: "Yes, Kimi, come on my son!"
George Russell completes a Mercedes 1-2, while Lewis Hamilton takes third for his first Ferrari podium.
Kimi Antonelli is a grand prix winner as he takes victory in China!
Lap 56/56
Final lap. The first win is on for Antonelli.
Pete Bonnington: "Okay Kimi, let's just get this home."
Lap 53/56
Oh, Kimi! He was extremely comfortable out front but out of nowhere, just locked up into Turn 14. Luckily for him he only went off for a couple seconds, but it's scare.
Lap 50/56
That first win is closing for Antonelli, who has increased his advantage over Russell to 9.6s! This'll make the 19-year-old the second youngest race victor in F1 history behind Verstappen, who was 18.
Piastri to Sky Sports: "Ut was once I got out the car [that I found out], looks like an electrical issue on the PU side. Disappointing. It's been a while since I watched two F1 races from the sideline."
Oscar Piastri, McLaren
Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images
Lap 47/56
Outside of Verstappen though, it looks like this is largely it for the rest of the race. Doesn't look like there's any on-track battles occurring with drivers all settling into their position.
It's not caused any yellow flags though, as Verstappen is slowly heading his way back to the garage. Looks like an electrics issue is the cause.
Lap 46/56
Red Bull to Verstappen: "Okay Max, let's retire the car."
As it stands, Hamilton will score his first grand prix podium for Ferrari since joining at the beginning of 2025.
Ferrari to Hamilton: "Keep the gap if you can, you are doing a very good job."
Engine vibrations is confirmed to be the cause of Alonso's earlier retirement.
Lap 41/56
When did we last see Antonelli on the broadcast? The Mercedes driver is extremely comfortable, 6.3s in the lead and on course for that first grand prix victory.
Lap 40/56
Well that was nice racing. Leclerc overtook Hamilton into Turn 14, only for the world champion to sweep back past on the inside of the opening corner.
Lap 39/56
The yo-yo battles have died down somewhat now. Though Russell has closed his gap to Antonelli to 6.9s, while Leclerc is still on the back of Hamilton.
Lap 35/56
Poor from Leclerc, who locked up at Turn 14 which allowed Hamilton to move into third.
Lap 35/56
Fernando Alonso has become the sixth retirement of this race.
Lap 34/56
Ocon: "Yeah, that was my fault."
Lap 33/56
Brief yellow flag in sector one as Ocon and Colapinto went off after tangling at Turn 1.
What an entertaining battle that was
Lap 30/56
And just as he says that, Russell makes it a Merc 1-2 again after overtaking Leclerc at Turn 14. The Ferrari is also unable to get him back down the pit straight, which we've often seen today.
"Man, they're just fast in all the right places," says Russell, who is on the back of Leclerc.
Lap 28/56
The drivers may hate these new regs, but this is a great watch!
Lap 27/56
And now comes Russell! Leclerc and Hamilton were wheel-to-wheel throughout sector one, allowing Russell to close and take third from the seven-time world champion!
Lap 27/56
That battle is continuing as Hamilton took back second from his team-mate at Turn 14, before Leclerc regained it into Turn 1. Yo-yo...
Lap 25/56
Antonelli will be loving this. Leclerc, Hamilton and Russell are all tight in battle for second, allowing the teenager to streak four seconds clear. Is that first win coming?
Norris on Sky Sports: "Just frustrating, it's on the PU side so the guys tried hard to get everything sorted, but weren't able to. Disappointing, my first did not start in Formula 1, tough to take, but it's life sometimes."
Lap 22/56
Fair play to Kimi. He has a world champion in his rear view mirrors, but he's certainly not budging and looking all sorts of comfortable in the lead.
Lap 20/56
Forget those in front, this battle between both Haas and Alpine cars for fifth to eighth is where it's at! It's also allowing Verstappen to enter the mix.
Lap 17/56
It's suspected that a battery issue was behind Stroll's retirement. This goes back to the excessive vibrations in that Honda power unit, which caused repeated battery failures and no spares in Melbourne.
By: Ed Hardy
