Kimi Antonelli breaks F1 record to claim pole position for Chinese Grand Prix

Kimi Antonelli became the youngest pole-sitter in Formula One history after George Russell was struck down by a gearbox problem in qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix.

Russell was still able to take second on the grid as Mercedes secured a second straight front-row lockout, but the world championship leader was restricted to just one flying lap in Shanghai after he stopped on track with mechanical gremlins in the early part of Q3.

Russell emerged from his garage with just two minutes remaining, but he could not match team-mate Antonelli’s lap with the Italian ending the session 0.222 seconds clear.

Antonelli, aged 19 years, six months and 18 days, breaks Sebastian Vettel’s 18-year record as the youngest driver to take top spot in qualifying.

Vettel was 21 years, two months and 11 days when he stormed to pole at the Italian Grand Prix in 2008.

Lewis Hamilton finished third in his Ferrari, one place ahead of Charles Leclerc in the other scarlet car.

Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris will line up in fifth and sixth respectively for McLaren. Max Verstappen qualified eighth, nine tenths off the pace.

Russell continued his flawless start to the season with victory in the earlier sprint race to extend his championship advantage to 11 points.

He headed into qualifying as the man to beat but first reported problems with his Mercedes in Q2.

“Something is not right with the car,” he said. “I’ve got major understeer. It is like the front wing is broken. Check the car.”

Mercedes started their investigation as soon as Russell returned to the pits but just moments into Q3, he had stopped on track.

“It looks all right,” Russell was told by his race engineer Marcus Dudley. “It isn’t,” Russell responded.

Russell managed to get going but the note of his engine indicated that the problem could be terminal.

“I can’t shift through the gears,” said Russell as he crawled back to his garage.

Inside the Mercedes garage, team principal Toto Wolff shook his head. With Antonelli at the top of the time charts, Russell took to the track with a little over two minutes to go but he could not get near his record-breaking team-mate.

Hamilton and Russell exchanged the lead six times inside the first five laps of the sprint race, with the former eventually having to settle for third.

Hamilton then beat Leclerc in qualifying for Sunday’s race, finishing 0.351 sec off the pace as his encouraging start to the new season continued.

For the second day running, Williams drivers Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon failed to make it out of Q1.

After missing the first test at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya because their new car was not ready, Williams headed into the campaign on the back foot and, after a poor performance a week ago, both Sainz and Albon suffered consecutive early qualifying exits this weekend.

“Terrible”, said Albon, who will start 18th, one place behind Sainz. Fernando Alonso will line up from 19th, with Aston Martin team-mate Lance Stroll 21st on the grid.