Imagine this: you wake up at 2:30 a.m., excited and nervous for the race. You settle on the couch, turn on the TV, open the stream, and then you notice something: three of the 22 drivers are not lined up on the grid. Confused, you open your phone and look up what’s happened. Reigning world champions Lando Norris, Alex Albon, and Gabriel Bortoleto are all still in the pits with differing mechanical issues, with Lando and Alex potentially being able to start the race from the pit lane. The race is finally about to start when yet another car leaves the grid. Oscar Piastri—Lando’s teammate—is out for a completely different issue. None of those cars even start the race. This will be fun.
Predictably, Mercedes took the lead of the race. In pole position was 19-year-old Kimi Antonelli, making him the youngest ever pole sitter in Formula 1 (F1), and behind him was his teammate George Russel, locking out the front row for the team. Past them were the two Ferraris, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. The Ferraris have seemed to be the only team that has been able to compete with the Mercedes, but they have yet to beat them. P5 and P6 were supposed to be the McLarens, but as said before, they were out of the race, so Pierre Gasly from Alpine was closest behind. Max Verstappen of Redbull struggled into P8 just behind Pierre.
Into the first corner, Kimi defended his position from his teammate, but lost it to seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton. He stayed in P2 until lap two, when he retook the lead. Russel sat in P4 after being overtaken by Leclerc.
The Ferraris continuously fought wheel-to-wheel after the safety car, free to race without team orders. They continued to fight for four laps while George sat behind them in P4, saving his tires and battery, waiting for the perfect opening. George overtook Lewis for P3 after Lewis worked with a depleted battery. After two more laps, George then overtook Charles for P2. By this time, Kimi had already cleared a 7-second lead.
The three new DNFs (Did Not Finish) by the end of the race consisted of both of the Aston Martins, two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, and Lance Stroll. The third was four-time world champion, Max Verstappen. Lance caused the only safety car of the race after a total electrical shutdown. Fernando had to retire because the Honda power unit shook so violently that he lost feeling in his hands and feet, and Max had to end his race after his ERS (energy recovery system) failed. This made seven cars out, with fifteen left to finish the race.
In the midfield, there were some upsets. Firstly, Franco Colipinto of Alpine sat in P2 for four laps of the race and even finished in his first points with the team and the team’s first double points of the year. Additionally, Ollie Beraman from Haas started P10 but worked his way up to P5, just behind the Ferraris, showing great pace and results for the team, bringing them ahead of Red Bull in the championship standings. Carlos Sainz had also brought Williams their first point in the constructors’ standings, racing without his teammate Alex.
The race finished with 15 of the 22 cars on the grid. Kimi became the second youngest Grand Prix winner behind Max Verstappen, who won at 18 years old. After the monumental moment in Kimi’s career, his team principal, Toto Wolff, spoke to him over the radio.
“‘He’s too young. We shouldn’t put him in a Mercedes. Put him in a smaller team. He needs the experience. Look at the mistakes he makes.’ Here we go, Kimi. Victory.”
