Ferrari saved an otherwise less exciting race at today’s Chinese Grand Prix as Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were locked in multipe wheel-to-wheel battles.
Ferrari lit up the Chinese Grand Prix from the very start, with Lewis Hamilton launching into the lead out of Turn 1 and Charles Leclerc briefly slotting in behind him.
The early momentum was short‑lived for the Monegasque driver, who lost out to Kimi Antonelli a few corners later before engaging in a fierce fight with George Russell for third place. Once Hamilton slipped behind the teenage race leader, the two Ferraris became the centre of attention, locked in multiple wheel‑to‑wheel battles that defined the middle phase of the race.
For several laps, the red cars managed to keep Russell at bay, but the Mercedes driver eventually found a way through. That left the spotlight firmly on the intra‑team duel for the final podium position.
In the closing laps, Hamilton ultimately edged out his teammate, securing his maiden podium finish as a Ferrari driver and marking a significant milestone in his debut season with the Scuderia.
Hamilton was full of praise for both the race winner and his own team after crossing the line in third. “Huge congratulations to Kimi (Antonelli), I’m really happy to share this moment and podium with him,” he said, reflecting on the breakthrough victory for the young Italian.
The Briton also highlighted the progress Ferrari made over the weekend, adding: “Overall, it’s been a very positive weekend for us; we’ve learned a lot and improved the way we optimise the car.
“Today was one of the most enjoyable races I’ve had in years, with hard but fair battles, especially with Charles. Racing in front of this fantastic crowd made it even more special.
“We still have work to do, but we’re on the right path, and I’m hugely grateful to everyone back in Maranello as we push to take the fight to Mercedes even more in the weeks ahead.”
Leclerc, who finished fourth after a spirited fight, echoed the excitement of the afternoon. “It was a really exciting race with a lot of fights,” he said. He praised the new generation of cars for enabling such close racing, explaining: “These new cars are really fun to race, it’s all about tactics and energy deployment, and you can really play with that to get ahead of your competitors.”
The Monegasque also acknowledged Hamilton’s strong performance, noting: “Lewis was strong all weekend, so it’s not a surprise he’s P3, he deserves it. We had some great fights, and I am sure we will continue to see some more good battles this year.”
Like Hamilton, he also congratulated the race winner, adding: “Congratulations to Kimi (Antonelli) for his first victory. It’s always touching to see raw emotion like that, and he did an exceptional job today, so I’m very happy for him.”
