Sports
Teen Antonelli wins maiden GP as Mercedes repeats 1-2 in China
Kimi Antonelli claimed his first Formula One victory Sunday at the Chinese Grand Prix, finishing ahead of George Russell, while Lewis Hamilton secured his first podium for Scuderia Ferrari.
The 19-year-old Antonelli converted being the youngest pole-sitter in Formula One history into victory after both McLarens dramatically failed to start the Shanghai race.
Antonelli briefly lost the lead at the start, but once he got back in front, he controlled the pace to cruise home to the chequered flag by more than five seconds from Russell. Charles Leclerc was fourth in the second Ferrari.
“I’m speechless, I’m about to cry to be honest,” said Antonelli as he choked back tears.
“Thank you to the team for helping me to achieve this dream,” he added.
It was an almost flawless drive from the youngster, apart from one heart-fluttering moment when he locked up at the hairpin on his penultimate lap.
But he recovered to avoid nothing more damaging than a small excursion off track.
“I really wanted to bring Italy back to the top and we did today. Even if I gave myself a little bit of a heart attack toward the end a flat spot,” Antonelli added.
Early championship leader Russell was full of praise for his young teammate after the dominant Mercedes team secured a one-two for the second race running.
“A huge congratulations to Kimi because it’s always very special to win your first race,” said Russell, whose lead has been cut to four points by Antonelli.
The Italian replaced Hamilton at Mercedes and the seven-time world champion said he could not be more pleased for the teenager and his old team.
“I’m so so happy for you buddy and I’m so honored to be able to share this moment with him,” said Hamilton.
“He took my seat obviously, at this great team. So big congratulations to Mercedes.”
“They’re really pulling ahead at the moment. We’ve got a lot of work to do to try and keep up,” he added.
Hamilton, as he had done in Saturday’s sprint, got a great start and had taken the lead by the time the teams emerged from the first complex of turns.
Leclerc also launched brilliantly and managed to get past Russell, who started second on the grid.
The top four swapped places multiple times before a safety car on lap 11 brought them all into the pits.
McLaren, Red Bull woe
Once the dust settled and they went racing again, Antonelli led from Hamilton, with Leclerc third and Russell fourth.
By lap 29, Russell had passed both Ferraris and up to second and set off trying to catch his young Italian teammate, who was by now more than seven seconds up the road.
Four-time world champion Max Verstappen continued Red Bull’s poor start to the new season when he was told to retire his car on lap 46.
Oliver Bearman was fifth in the Haas, followed home by Pierre Gasly (Alpine) and Liam Lawson (RB).
Rounding out the Top-10 points scorers were Isack Hadjar (Red Bull), Carlos Sainz (Williams) and Franco Colapinto (Alpine).
Current world champion Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri both failed to start due to separate issues, leaving McLaren without a car in the race.
Norris had an electrical problem that prevented him from getting to the grid.
Piastri did get round to the grid but was pushed back into the garage a few minutes later with a different problem.
“Unfortunately, we identified separate issues on both cars which prevented them from starting the Chinese GP,” said McLaren in a statement.
It has been an awful start to the season for the constructors’ world champions.
Last weekend, only one McLaren took part in the opening race in Melbourne after Piastri crashed on his way to the grid, meaning the Australian is yet to race in a grand prix this season.
Formula One said Saturday that the Bahrain Grand Prix and the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix will not be held in April because of the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
The announcement had been widely expected and the statement by the Liberty Media-owned sport and governing FIA, as well as local promoters, said the races will not be replaced on the calendar next month.
Sources have said they are also unlikely to be rescheduled for later in the year due to logistics and weather, although the statement did not explicitly rule that out, with the calendar set to be reduced from 24 to 22 races.
“While this was a difficult decision to take, it is unfortunately the right one at this stage considering the current situation in the Middle East,” said Formula One Chief Executive Stefano Domenicali.
Bahrain’s desert Sakhir circuit had been due to host the fourth round of the season on April 12, with Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Corniche track following the weekend after.
Both races are floodlit and at night.
Freight deadline looming
U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran are continuing while Iranian drones and missiles have hit Middle Eastern capitals, including Bahrain’s Manama, where team personnel would be staying in hotels.
Airports in the region have closed, including Manama, with Iran threatening to block the key trade route through the Strait of Hormuz.
Bahrain is also the headquarters of the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet.
The deadline for freight for the race to be sent to Bahrain was March 20, according to informed sources. Formula One is currently racing in Shanghai, China, with Japan next on the calendar on March 29.
Miami will now be the next round after that, on May 3, with a five-week gap. For some, such as struggling Aston Martin, that could be a welcome breathing space to improve their car.
The governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) said that while several alternative venues had been considered, it was ultimately decided to leave April blank.
It said the decision had been taken in full consultation with Liberty Media-owned Formula One, local promoters and FIA member clubs.
Formula Two, Formula Three and the all-female F1 Academy rounds scheduled for the Middle Eastern races will also not go ahead there.
“The FIA will always place the safety and wellbeing of our community and colleagues first,” said FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who comes from the United Arab Emirates, in the statement.
“After careful consideration, we have taken this decision with that responsibility firmly in mind. We continue to hope for calm, safety and a swift return to stability in the region,” he added.
“Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are incredibly important to the ecosystem of our racing season and I look forward to returning to both as soon as circumstances allow.”
The two races are major contributors to Formula One’s balance sheet and team finances, with Bahrain’s hosting fees alone estimated at around $45 million a year and Saudi Arabia’s likely to be higher.
Real Madrid’s Turkish star Arda Güler’s 70-yard worldie and a fine strike from in-form Fede Valverde helped Real Madrid thrash Elche 4-1 on Saturday in La Liga.
Uruguayan midfielder Valverde, who scored a sensational hat trick against Manchester City in the Champions League in midweek, whipped the ball into the top corner before half-time after Antonio Rüdiger blasted the hosts ahead.
Dean Huijsen headed home the third for Alvaro Arbeloa’s side, who visit Man City Tuesday, aiming to reach the Champions League quarterfinals.
The goal of the night, though, was scored by Turkish playmaker Güler late on, who spotted Elche goalkeeper Matias Dituro off his line and lobbed home from near the center circle.
“He hit the bar (from there in another game) and today he pulled it off, what a goal,” Madrid forward Brahim Diaz told Real Madrid TV.
“Everyone had their hands on their head … it’s worth buying a ticket to see that goal,” added Arbeloa.
Arbeloa was able to rest several of the players that started after the break, including Vinicius Junior and Valverde, bringing on a host of youngsters to keep legs fresh.
Madrid are still without a host of injured stars, including Jude Bellingham, while French striker Kylian Mbappe could return from a knee sprain next week.
“We’ve still got room to improve, the players’ commitment is exceptional,” a happy Arbeloa told reporters after the convincing win.
Elche, 17th, slumped to an 11th consecutive league game without a victory and could finish the weekend in the relegation zone.
Madrid were on a high after defeating City and although Elche showed some resistance at first, they were gradually unpicked.
After Dituro saved Valverde’s free-kick, Elche could not clear the rebound effectively and German center-back Rüdiger rifled home in the 39th minute.
Valverde added a second before the break, opening up an angle on the edge of the box and guiding the ball into the top corner for his fifth goal in his last three appearances.
Madrid were cruising and Arbeloa – a former youth-level coach within the club – brought on several young players, including Daniel Yanez.
The 18-year-old winger set up Madrid’s third with a fine cross, which Huijsen nodded home.
“Yanez and (Diego) Aguado are two of the first players I coached when they were 13, 14 years old, to be able to bring them on in the Bernabeu for me is a dream come true,” said Arbeloa.
Another one of Madrid’s substitutes, Manuel Angel, put through his own net as he tried to cut a ball out with five minutes to go.
However, Güler restored Madrid’s advantage from inside his own territory with a shot that flew high over Dituro and sank into the net.
Abqar’s dismissal
Nahuel Molina’s thunderbolt from distance helped Atletico cut the gap to the top two but the bizarre incident early in the second half involving Getafe defender Abqar was the biggest talking point.
The Moroccan, who insisted he did not mean to touch the Atletico striker’s crotch, appeared to pinch the Norwegian, who threw him to the floor angrily.
“It was not my intention to touch the player in this area,” Abqar, who was dismissed after a VAR review, told Movistar.
“You see it in every game, and in football, we’re touching, clashing and everything, but I never thought about touching him in that area … I swear.”
Abqar said he was trying to touch Sorloth’s stomach.
Atletico coach Diego Simeone rotated his line-up ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League trip to Tottenham, but was still able to secure a sixth win in the last seven matches across all competitions.
The Rojiblancos moved two points above Villarreal, who drew at Alaves on Friday.
Defender Molina’s superb strike, lashed into the top corner from over 25 yards out after eight minutes, was enough to split the teams, with Atletico surviving a second-half onslaught.
Elsewhere, Real Oviedo grabbed a rare win, beating Valencia 1-0 but staying bottom of the table, while Girona thrashed Athletic Bilbao 3-0.
World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz powered past Cameron Norrie 6-3, 6-4 on Thursday to book a semifinal showdown with Daniil Medvedev at Indian Wells, after the Russian knocked out defending champion Jack Draper 6-1, 7-5.
In the women’s draw, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the last four with a tight 7-6 (0), 6-4 victory over 19-year-old Canadian Victoria Mboko, while Iga Swiatek fell to Elina Svitolina 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.
Fresh off his title at the Australian Open, Alcaraz stretched his perfect start to the season to 16-0 with a composed performance in the night session, keeping his bid for a third Indian Wells crown firmly on track.
The Spaniard cruised through the opening set and, after briefly trailing 0-2 in the second, quickly wrestled back control to close out the match against Norrie and set up a semifinal clash with two-time runner-up Medvedev.
“It was really difficult. I struggled with Cameron’s style,” Alcaraz said.
“I was trying to play my best, but there was a little bit of confusion. His forehand has super topspin and his backhand is very flat, so sometimes it’s tricky to play against him and find the right shots.
“But I played solid and aggressive when I could. I’m happy to be at this level.”
Russian 11th-seeded Medvedev was also in impressive form against Draper, who had little time to recover after his stunning three-set win over Novak Djokovic on Wednesday.
Draper raised his level in the second set and stayed with his opponent to 5-5, but Medvedev secured a late break before serving out the match.
“The first set was unreal. I couldn’t miss a ball. It was an unbelievable level,” said Medvedev, who reached the semifinals for the fourth consecutive year.
Fourth-seeded Alexander Zverev beat Frenchman Arthur Fils 6-2, 6-3 to reach the Indian Wells semifinals for the first time and become only the fifth player to complete the set of last-four appearances at all nine ATP Masters 1000 events.
The German faces a major test next as he takes on world No. 2 Jannik Sinner, after the Italian made light work of American Learner Tien 6-1, 6-2.
Svitolina upsets Swiatek
World No. 2 Swiatek struggled early against Svitolina, with the Ukrainian capitalizing on five double faults to secure three breaks and take the opening set in 38 minutes.
Swiatek found her rhythm in the second to force a decider, but Svitolina regained the upper hand by securing the only break in a tight third set before confidently closing out the match.
“I’m extremely happy. It was a tough match,” said Svitolina, who is back in the semifinals for the first time in seven years. “Iga always brings a bit extra out of me with that fighting spirit. I had to really push myself to close that match.”
Belarusian Sabalenka had a battle on her hands against rising talent Mboko. The top seed was pushed to a first-set tiebreak, which she won to love, a career first.
The second set followed a similar script, with Mboko clawing back to 5-4 and threatening another tiebreak. But four-time Grand Slam champion Sabalenka closed it out to reach the semifinals.
“She is definitely a future Grand Slam champion,” Sabalenka said. “It’s incredible to see how brave these young girls are these days.”
Sabalenka next plays Linda Noskova, who ended Australian qualifier Talia Gibson’s fairytale run 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, the Czech reaching her second WTA 1000 semifinal.
Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina advanced with a 6-1, 7-6 (4) victory over Jessica Pegula to reach another Indian Wells semifinal, where she will face Svitolina.
The victory ensures Rybakina will leapfrog Swiatek and reach a career-high world No. 2 when the WTA rankings are updated on Monday.
The Houston Rockets endured a harsh reality check Wednesday night, falling 129-93 to the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena in a pivotal Western Conference clash.
The loss dropped Houston to 40-25, handing Denver a 40-26 record and a 3-1 edge in the season series, including a critical tiebreaker in the playoff race.
The Rockets stayed competitive early, trailing 53-47 at halftime after trading blows in the first two quarters.
But Denver’s third-quarter surge, outscoring Houston 40-22, dismantled the visitors. The Nuggets closed with a 36-24 final period, leaving Houston’s hopes in ruins.
Houston’s perimeter shooting collapsed, making just four of 33 attempts from beyond the arc, a miserable 12.1% clip.
Alperen Şengün, the Turkish national team standout, tallied 10 points with three blocks, three assists, and two fouls in 24 minutes, showing flashes of defensive versatility but struggling against Jokic and Denver’s dominant frontcourt.
Amen Thompson led Houston with 16 points, while Kevin Durant added 11 points on his fewest field-goal attempts of the season, unable to ignite a comeback.
Houston also fell behind on the boards, losing control of the paint and turning the ball over at key moments.
Denver’s balance and efficiency were impossible to stop.
Jamal Murray carried the scoring load with 30 points on 11-of-21 shooting, knocking down three of four from deep and adding four assists and a steal.
Nikola Jokic orchestrated the attack with a triple-double, 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 13 assists, while also collecting five steals and a block.
Remarkably, Jokic completed the triple-double before the fourth quarter, marking his 25th of the season and 187th of his career, highlighting his unique ability to control games on both ends of the floor.
Bench contributions from Christian Braun (19 points) and Cameron Johnson (17 points) kept Denver’s momentum high, with the Nuggets finishing 55.2% from the field and 53.1% from three.
The second-half margin of 76-46 underscored the stark contrast in execution and intensity between the teams.
Max Verstappen did not sugarcoat his view of Formula One’s new technical era.
The four-time world champion says the sport has become “a jungle” under the sweeping 2026 regulations, warning that the complicated hybrid systems and large performance gaps between teams are making racing unpredictable and, at times, dangerous.
Speaking ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai, Verstappen acknowledged that Red Bull salvaged a respectable result in the season-opening race in Australia.
The Dutchman stormed from last on the grid to finish sixth in Melbourne.
But the comeback did little to change his broader concern about the competitive landscape.
“Honestly, it’s such a jungle out there at the moment,” Verstappen said. “I would hope things get a bit closer, but right now we cannot fight with those cars.”
A widening gap at the front
Verstappen believes Red Bull remain a step behind the leading pace set by Mercedes and Ferrari, a gap he expects will again define the fight in China.
Even with a stronger starting position in Sunday’s race at the Shanghai International Circuit, the 28-year-old suggested the team’s ceiling may only be fifth place.
The frustration reflects a wider debate around Formula One’s 2026 overhaul.
The new cars combine dramatic aerodynamic changes with redesigned hybrid power units that split power output almost evenly between the turbocharged 1.6-liter V6 engine and electrical energy recovered from braking.
Drivers say mastering the system requires a driving style unlike anything used before.
Battery concerns and a near disaster
One of Verstappen’s biggest concerns involves energy management at race starts.
Under the new system, drivers can begin a race with depleted batteries. That scenario nearly caused a serious crash at the Australian Grand Prix when Franco Colapinto’s car launched slowly off the line, narrowly avoiding Liam Lawson.
For Verstappen, the risk is obvious.
“Starting with zero percent battery is not a lot of fun and also quite dangerous,” he said. “We almost had a massive shunt in Melbourne.”
He added that technical tweaks could solve the problem if the FIA approves them, insisting the issue is “easily fixed.”
Verstappen pushes for change
Despite the criticism, Verstappen says he is not planning to walk away from Formula One.
He has spoken with the FIA and Formula One management about improving the rules and hopes adjustments could arrive as soon as next season.
“I don’t want to leave,” he said. “But of course I hope it gets better.”
At the same time, Verstappen is beginning to explore racing beyond the F1 paddock.
The Dutch star confirmed he will compete in his first 24-hour endurance race at the legendary Nürburgring Nordschleife in May. The brutal circuit has not hosted Formula One since 1976, when reigning champion Niki Lauda survived a fiery crash that nearly claimed his life.
For Verstappen, the challenge is irresistible.
“It’s one of the best tracks in the world,” he said. “In a GT car that’s the perfect speed for that circuit. Faster than that can be a bit dangerous.”
After nearly a decade in Formula One and four world titles, he says the timing feels right to broaden his racing horizons.
“I’ve achieved everything I wanted in F1,” Verstappen said. “I don’t need to be only a Formula One driver. I want to try other things while I’m still young.”
Russell sets the early pace
While Verstappen voiced concerns about the sport’s future, Mercedes set the early benchmark on track in Shanghai.
George Russell topped the lone practice session of the sprint weekend with a blistering lap of 1:32.741 on soft tires, edging teammate Kimi Antonelli by 0.120 seconds.
World champion Lando Norris led McLaren’s recovery effort in third, followed by Oscar Piastri, as the British team rebounded after a difficult start in Australia.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finished fifth and sixth.
Haas rookie Oliver Bearman impressed in seventh, while Verstappen could manage only eighth, a worrying 1.8 seconds behind Russell.
Nico Hulkenberg and Pierre Gasly rounded out the top ten ahead of sprint qualifying.
Chaotic practice session
Teams had just one hour to dial in their setups on a circuit that presents a different challenge from Melbourne.
Shanghai’s long back straight and complex corner sequences demand precise battery deployment and energy harvesting, making it a critical early test for the new hybrid systems.
Hamilton endured a messy session. The seven-time champion briefly spun after locking his brakes at the end of the straight and later brushed wheels with Norris in the final corner.
Elsewhere, rookie Arvid Lindblad’s debut appearance in Shanghai ended prematurely after smoke poured from his cockpit just five laps into the session.
Ferrari have gone a year without a Formula One win since Lewis Hamilton’s sprint race triumph in Shanghai, and this weekend’s return to China offers both teams a chance to close the loop.
Ferrari, which last stood atop the podium in 2024, showed strong pace in last weekend’s Australian opener, with Charles Leclerc finishing third and Hamilton fourth, trailing the one-two of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli.
“For me, the main feeling is that we now have a real fight on our hands with Ferrari,” Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said after Melbourne. Mercedes remain the benchmark, with Russell once again the favorite, but after a difficult 2025 season that saw him miss the podium entirely, seven-time world champion Hamilton enters round two with renewed optimism.
Could this weekend mark Hamilton’s first podium for Ferrari?
Red the color of good fortune
The team has a loyal following in China, where the color red symbolizes happiness and good fortune, and Hamilton is also the most successful driver there with six wins from previous stints at McLaren and Mercedes.
That only went so far last year, with Hamilton winning on Saturday before both cars were disqualified on Sunday.
“Of course, we’re not as fast as Mercedes, we’ve got work to do, but we’re right in the fight,” Hamilton said after last Sunday’s race in Melbourne. “I do believe we can close the gap.”
Leclerc said he had been positively surprised by the race pace in Melbourne, but Shanghai, the first sprint weekend of the sport’s new engine and chassis era, represents another big challenge.
“I think it’s going to be crucial to be straight on top of everything, which will be extremely difficult,” the Monegasque said. “To have a sprint race so early in a season like this will be a huge challenge for everybody.”
The sprint format means only one hour-long Friday practice session, at a time when every lap counts for teams getting to grips with their new cars, but also more points are on offer, with eight for the Saturday winner.
The Australian Grand Prix featured 120 overtakes, compared with 45 a year earlier, with the lead changing hands repeatedly early on as Russell and Leclerc charged and deployed energy from the increased electrical component.
The Shanghai circuit has two long straights, and Russell, leading the championship for the first time but with the jury still out on Formula One’s new format, suggested China would be very different. “You’ve got one big, long straight, so the majority of drivers will be using their energy on that one straight,” he said. “You don’t need to divide it up between four like in Melbourne.”
Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur agreed: “Conditions will probably be much colder in China. And we’ll have the sprint format, which means much less time to adapt the strategy. It will be a completely different exercise.”
McLaren looked like the third-fastest team in Australia, with champion Lando Norris finishing after teammate Oscar Piastri crashed before the start.
Piastri won the main race from pole in China last year, with Norris second for the second consecutive year.
Red Bull, which had only four-time world champion Max Verstappen finish last Sunday after Isack Hadjar retired during the race, also hopes for better. Aston Martin faces a far tougher weekend after struggling with powertrain problems and completing few laps. Their chances of even finishing in Shanghai look remote.
“That will be optimistic, but we can try,” said Fernando Alonso, a two-time winner in Shanghai.
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