Kimi Antonelli could join the all-time list of youngest winners if he converts pole into victory at the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai. The 19-year-old Italian, who starts on pole, could become the next youngest f1 race winner with a maiden Formula 1 victory on Sunday.
Youngest F1 Race Winner Record: Verstappen Still No. 1
Max Verstappen remains the youngest ever Formula 1 Grand Prix winner. He displaced Sebastian Vettel in 2016 with a breakthrough victory at the Spanish Grand Prix in his first outing for Red Bull, achieving the feat at 18 years, 7 months and 15 days. In that Barcelona race he fended off multiple Ferrari attacks from Kimi Raikkonen. Nearly 10 years on, Verstappen holds four world titles and his record as the youngest winner still stands. Before Verstappen, Sebastian Vettel held the mark with a win for Toro Rosso in 2008.
Antonelli On Pole In Shanghai — A Shot At No. 2
The current weekend in Shanghai gives Antonelli a direct path into the list. A victory would slot the 19-year-old into second place on the all-time list, behind only Verstappen. Antonelli suffered a poor start in the sprint but recovered to finish fourth, a performance he will want to improve on from pole.
Qualifying produced a front-row lockout for Mercedes despite a gearbox issue for George Russell, who managed one flying lap in Q3 that proved sufficient for a 1-2. Ferrari sat behind in third and fourth, with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris will start fifth and sixth, Max Verstappen was eighth and expressed displeasure with his car after qualifying. Earlier, a dramatic sprint saw George Russell hold off Lewis Hamilton before Charles Leclerc mounted a late push to win the sprint and extend an early lead in the Drivers’ Championship.
There is only one driver on the current grid who could still break Verstappen’s youngest-winner record: Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad. He turns 19 on August 8, meaning he would need to register a victory in the next few weeks to surpass Verstappen’s mark.
