Kimi Antonelli Takes Chinese GP Pole, Breaks F1 Record
Last update: March 14, 2026
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Antonelli beat an 18-year record set by Sebastian Vettel.
The 19-year-old Italian Kimi Antonelli took pole position for the Chinese Grand Prix on Saturday, becoming the youngest driver to achieve the feat in Formula One history.
Antonelli led a Mercedes front-row lockout along with George Russell and erased the record of Sebastian Vettel, who was 21 when he took pole for the Italian Grand Prix in 2008.
The Mercedes duo, as in Australia last weekend, have been dominant in Shanghai.
Antonelli blasted round in 1min 32.064sec on his final qualifying lap, 0.222sec ahead of championship leader Russell, who had won the sprint race earlier in the day.
The Ferrari pair of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will fill the second row of the grid for Sunday's race after qualifying third and fourth.
Then, on a two-by-two grid, came the McLarens of Oscar Piastri and world champion Lando Norris.
Max Verstappen was only eighth fastest, continuing a very unhappy weekend in a clearly struggling Red Bull.
CBI News reports that Pierre Gasly was seventh in the Alpine with the second Red Bull of Isack Hadjar ninth and Oliver Bearman's Haas rounding out the top 10.
