Kiwi driver Liam Lawson produced a determined recovery drive to finish seventh in a dramatic 2026 Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit, as teenage sensation Kimi Antonelli claimed a stunning maiden victory for Mercedes.
Lawson started the 56-lap race from 14th on the grid for Racing Bulls but took advantage of early drama and a well-timed strategy to climb into the points. The result added six points to the two he collected in Saturday’s Sprint, completing a productive weekend for the young New Zealander.
The race was already in chaos before it even began. Both McLaren drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, were unable to start after suffering separate electrical issues with their power units. There were further non-starters as Gabriel Bortoleto was sidelined by a hydraulic problem for Audi, and Alex Albon failed to leave the pit lane in his Williams.
When the lights finally went out, pole-sitter Antonelli initially lost the lead as Lewis Hamilton surged past from third on the grid to lead into the opening corners for Ferrari. However, the Italian teenager wasted little time reclaiming control, diving back ahead before the end of the second lap and immediately beginning to build a gap.
Further back, Lawson made a clean start and quickly began working his way forward through the midfield. The Kiwi climbed into the top ten during the opening phase of the race and briefly ran as high as seventh before becoming one of the first drivers to pit, diving into the lane on lap nine for fresh tyres.
Moments later, the race’s only Safety Car was deployed after Lance Stroll pulled his stricken Aston Martin to the side of the track, allowing the rest of the field to pit without losing track position. While that timing worked against Lawson slightly, he remained firmly in the mix once the race resumed.
At the front, Antonelli controlled proceedings after the restart, although the fight behind him intensified. George Russell worked his way back into contention for Mercedes after briefly losing ground, while Hamilton and teammate Charles Leclerc became embroiled in a fierce battle for the podium.
The Ferrari pair traded positions multiple times and ran side by side through several corners, their internal fight allowing Antonelli to extend his advantage.
Russell eventually split the Ferraris and began chasing down his teammate, but Antonelli had already built a comfortable margin. Despite a nervous lock-up late in the race that briefly reduced his lead, the 19-year-old kept his composure to secure his first Formula 1 victory and become one of the youngest race winners in the sport’s history.
Behind the leading quartet, the midfield provided plenty of action. Oliver Bearman delivered an impressive performance to finish fifth for Haas after avoiding an early spin by Isack Hadjar. Pierre Gasly followed in sixth for Alpine, just ahead of Lawson.
Lawson’s race settled into a tense closing phase as he managed his tyres and defended seventh place. The Kiwi was briefly elevated when Max Verstappen retired his Red Bull Racing with a mechanical issue late in the race, promoting Lawson up the order.
He ultimately crossed the line seventh, finishing ahead of Hadjar and emerging as the highest-placed driver from the Red Bull organisation’s two teams on the day.
Hamilton completed the podium behind Russell, securing his first Grand Prix top-three finish since joining Ferrari, while Leclerc came home fourth after their entertaining intra-team duel.
Further back, Carlos Sainz Jr. scored ninth for Williams, and Alpine’s Franco Colapinto claimed the final point in tenth despite recovering from a spin following contact with Esteban Ocon.
For Lawson, the seventh-place finish capped an encouraging weekend in Shanghai. After collecting points in both the Sprint and the Grand Prix, the New Zealander left China with eight points and valuable momentum as the Formula 1 season continues.
Header Image: Lars Baron/LAT Images via Red Bull Content Pool
