Lewis Hamilton claims first Ferrari podium in Chinese GP after bouncing again to kind
Lewis Hamilton finished on the podium for the first time as a Ferrari driver in the Chinese Grand Prix.
The seven-time world champion endured a nightmare first season in red, with his best position being fourth. However, Hamilton is now on the board for Ferrari after taking the chequered flag in third.
Hamilton, 41, enjoyed an enthralling battle with Kimi Antonelli for the lead of the Grand Prix after getting the launch on F1’s youngest-ever pole setter. But Antonelli soon retook the lead as the superior race pace of the Mercedes took over.
The Brit also battled with George Russell in P2 before holding off team-mate Charles Leclerc to come home third. Hamilton was in the thick of the action throughout, with his fight with Leclerc a highlight of the entire race.
Hamilton won the Sprint race in Shanghai last year but he was able to kick on in an incredibly challenging year for him and Ferrari.
His last podium came for Mercedes in the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix, and his latest top three finish is his 10th podium finish in China – a track record.
It was more good news for Italy around Shanghai as Kimi Antonelli claimed his first Grand Prix victory at the age of 19.
The Mercedes’ star converted pole after holding off the position from Hamilton’s early challenge. Antonelli was frustrated after the Sprint race on Saturday when he bogged down on the grid, losing his front row start off the line.
It’s now two race wins for Mercedes to start the year after Russell won in Australia to vindicate the Silver Arrows’ tag as pre-season favourites. But Ferrari showed signs of closing that gap with Leclerc finishing in P4.
Antonelli’s emotions at claiming his first race win were obvious as he failed to hold back the tears since his post-race interview.
More to follow…
This is a breaking sports story and is being constantly updated with the latest news, pictures and videos. Please refresh the page regularly.
You can also get email updates on the day’s biggest sports stories straight to your inbox by signing up for our sports newsletter.
Get all the very best sports news, pictures, opinion and video by following Daily Star every time you see our name.
Follow Daily Star on Google News – CLICK HERE and click the star
Follow Daily Star on Apple News – CLICK HERE available on Apple devices
Follow Daily Star on Flipboard – CLICK HERE and click follow
You can also sign up for Twitter alerts for breaking news by following @DailyStar_Sport and follow us @dailystar for all the latest updates.
Keep up-to-date with your must-see sports stories, features, videos and pictures throughout the day by following us on Facebook at Daily Star Football | London
