Kimi Antonelli stunned after being handed shock win

Mercedes Formula 1 star Kimi Antonelli was caught off guard during the aftermath of the Chinese Grand Prix after being handed a surprise victory.

The 18-year-old was awarded Driver of the Day following Sunday's race in Shanghai, with winner Oscar Piastri and Antonelli's fellow rookie Oliver Bearman closely behind him in the fan vote.

The Driver of the Day award is decided by fans across the globe and provides a chance to highlight any unsung heroes throughout a grand prix weekend.

Antonelli has so far impressed at Mercedes during the early stages of his debut F1 season, securing points at every opportunity to date.

Antonelli wins Chinese GP Driver of the Day

The Italian youngster has often been tipped as the next big thing- Mercedes' answer to Max Verstappen if you will- and F1 team principal Toto Wolff is certainly fond of him.

Following the reveal that Antonelli had won Driver of the Day for the Chinese GP, Wolff jumped on team radio to break the good news, saying: "Kimi Driver of the Day, I just saw on the screen."

Clearly confused, Antonelli responded: "Me? That's weird," following his P8 finish. Although this was later boosted to a P6 following disqualifications for Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.

Wolff responded, joking: "I think it's your looks and your target group... and obviously the looks of your race engineer also," referring to Peter 'Bono' Bonnington, who was previously Lewis Hamilton's engineer at Mercedes.

The Silver Arrows now sit in second place in the constructors' standings thanks to Ferrari's double disqualification in China, with Antonelli and his team-mate George Russell quietly collecting vital points towards their first championship campaign as a pair.

F1 HEADLINES: Red Bull statement delivered on Lawson as Vettel handed F1 boost

Related

More F1 news

Latest F1 news

Kimi Antonelli admits loyalty factor after opening up on Ferrari move

• 3 hours ago

F1 News Today: Lewis Hamilton releases statement as Mercedes comeback confirmed

• 7 minutes ago

Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff admits George Russell title hopes have all but gone

• Today 08:58

Mercedes star makes F1 comeback as Alpine complete massive signing

• Yesterday 20:55

F1 News Today: Verstappen claims first race win of 2026 and gets green light for series switch

• Yesterday 16:16

Max vs 100 Results: Final times and positions as Verstappen takes on epic Silverstone challenge

• September 16, 2026 19:43