F1 Race Time: Antonelli Takes Pole In Shanghai After Russell Issues
F1 Race Time headlines the Chinese Grand Prix qualifying as Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli claimed a record-breaking pole position after team-mate George Russell battled last-minute car problems. Antonelli became the youngest polesitter for a full grand prix in history and will lead the field into the 56-lap race.
F1 Race Time And Race Start
Antonelli will start from pole when the lights go out for Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix, a 56-lap race at the Shanghai International Circuit scheduled for 1500 local time (3: 00 am ET). The grid remains provisional until it is officially confirmed by the governing body for the sport.
Qualifying Outcome And Adjusted Starting Grid
Antonelli beat team-mate George Russell by 0. 222 seconds to take top spot on the grid. Russell salvaged second after the team repaired his car in time for a final flying lap following a gearbox-related issue that threatened to leave him 10th. Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will start third and fourth, with McLaren locking out the third row as Oscar Piastri starts ahead of Lando Norris.
Alpine’s Pierre Gasly qualified seventh, ahead of the troubled Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar. Oliver Bearman secured the final place in the top 10 for Haas. An adjusted grid note added that Alex Albon will now start from the pit lane after suspension set-up changes were made following his qualifying session.
Reactions: Wolff, Antonelli And Russell
Antonelli, aged 19 years and 212 days, said he was “very happy” but acknowledged the result might have been different had Russell not suffered problems. His pole lap eclipsed the previous youngest-polesitter mark held by Sebastian Vettel, who was 21 years and 72 days old when he took pole at the 2008 Italian Grand Prix.
Russell described his second place as “damage limitation” after a turbulent qualifying, saying: “It was a crazy session. Front wing broke at the end of Q2. The team weren’t sure it had broken but I was sure it had. Then got stranded on track and just made it back out in time. It was more a case of just getting a lap done. “
Mercedes team principal praised Antonelli’s maturity after the Italian capitalised on the session. He highlighted how the young driver had grown, shown composure and exploited the situation to put the car on pole, calling the achievement validation for the team’s decision to give the rookie a seat.
Qualifying also featured incidents for other drivers, with Gabriel Bortoleto ending up in the gravel and a difficult weekend for Williams and Aston Martin noted across the sessions. Despite the drama, fans in the stands at the Shanghai International Circuit were reported to have enjoyed the spectacle.
The field will form up for the race with Antonelli leading the pack; any final confirmation of the grid will be announced before the race start.
