What we learned from Chinese GP: Antonelli arrives, more debate on new cars

theScore's lead Formula 1 writer Daniel Valente offers his thoughts following each race weekend this year. Here are his biggest takeaways after the 2026 Chinese GP.

Wolff was right about Antonelli

For the first time in over 500 days, the Italian national anthem played during a podium celebration, but it wasn't for either Ferrari driver. On Sunday, the anthem commemorated Kimi Antonelli's crowning achievement.

At 19 years, six months, and 12 days, Antonelli made history in China by becoming the youngest driver to start on pole in F1. A day later, he became the second youngest to win a grand prix, and the first Italian to climb the top step in almost exactly 20 years.

Nobody felt more vindicated than Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, who greeted Antonelli on the radio postrace by mocking the criticism he's received. "He's too young. We shouldn't put him in a Mercedes. Put him in a smaller team. He needs the experience," Wolff told the Italian.

It hasn't always been smooth sailing since Antonelli was tabbed to replace the all-time great Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes in 2025. Nothing sums up the Antonelli experience like the opening weekends of the 2026 season. There was a huge shunt in FP3 of Australia before qualifying, which led to a wholesome moment where Wolff coached up the youngster. A week later in China, Antonelli responded by entering the record books, but even that didn't come without a late scare after a lockup in the closing laps. China was the Italian's first test at controlling the field, and aside from one blemish, he looked like a natural at the front, battling the Ferraris and keeping George Russell at bay.

Moments of brilliance like China will likely not stop mistakes from popping up, but the unordinary peaks far outweigh the expected mistakes for a growing driver. Antonelli's ongoing development probably means that even with the victory, it's probably a bit premature to label him a title threat just yet. Even the driver's own father seemed to warrant caution on that front.

What the triumph does do is confirm Wolff's beliefs that Antonelli was the right choice. Over a decade since he missed out on the last generational youngster in Max Verstappen, Wolff and Mercedes have the next big thing.

Hamilton didn't lose his magic

It's pretty ironic that Hamilton's first podium as a Ferrari driver occurred in the same race that his Mercedes replacement got their maiden victory. The Chinese Grand Prix was all about ushering in the new by paying homage to the old.

That's why this wasn't as much about a new Hamilton put together by the Scuderia, but rather the discovery that the old one truly never left. For proof of that, Hamilton played a set list of his greatest hits over the course of the 56-lap race.

The seven-time world champion put serious pressure on Mercedes in both the sprint and grand prix race, finishing in the top three on both occasions. He got the last laugh on Charles Leclerc in exceptional wheel-to-wheel combat, and placed ahead of his teammate in most sessions this weekend. There was little doubt about it, Hamilton extracted the maximum out of the car.

It was widely assumed that it was more likely that Hamilton was neutralized by the previous ground-effect cars than the possibility that he simply was not fast anymore. That's why I said in the drivers' lineup rankings that it would be wiser to be late on predicting Hamilton's downfall than early on declaring his demise.

Those who fell in the latter category look pretty silly now.

Some of them might argue that the Shanghai circuit could be a mirage, like it was last year with Hamilton's sprint victory. But there's already more evidence that's not the case. With 33 points, the 41-year-old is off to his best start since 2021 - the final year before the ground-effect era began.

"I definitely feel like I am back, both mentally and physically, to my best," Hamilton said Sunday, according to Philip Duncan of the Independent. "But I still feel there is room to improve."

China was Hamilton's best weekend in years, and you get the sense that he's still only in the opening act of his greatest hits setlist.

McLaren didn't get manual for Mercedes PU

Those who were unable to watch Sunday's race at its 3 a.m. ET start might have been confused as to why there was a lack of Papaya cars featured. Well, that's because both McLaren cars did not start for the first time since the 2005 United States Grand Prix.

Both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri had electrical problems with their Mercedes power units that forced them out. Norris was unable to even make it out of the garage for the reconnaissance laps due to an issue that wouldn't let the team "even start the car." Piastri's situation was even more odd, as he was yanked from the formation lap and shoved into the garage, never making it back out. The Australian later said his electrical issue was different than his teammate's.

McLaren added that it would conduct a "joint investigation" with the Mercedes High Performance Powertrains department into the problem.

McLaren, who appeared miffed at the Mercedes' power unit in Australia, are tackling a huge learning curve at understanding how to maximize the new engine. Progress appeared to be made in the sprint format with Norris qualifying third and finishing fourth before Sunday's debacle.

One can also wonder if McLaren's lacklustre start to 2026 is partially tied to its poor run to end 2025, which was littered by operational, strategic, and driver mistakes.

The new regulations were introduced partially to shake up the grid. Indeed they have done so. It's helped turn what once was the class of the field in McLaren back into an ordinary customer team.

Don't be surprised in future Bearman podium

Haas has never scored a podium in all its years of existence. It shouldn't be too surprising if Oliver Bearman ends the drought in 2026.

He got close with a fourth-place finish in Mexico last year, and it now feels like it's only a matter of time before Bearman gets on the top steps. It might sound optimistic, but the Haas youngster continues to dazzle week in and week out with his performances since the end of 2025. Maybe now's the time to stop referring to him as a youngster after another superb drive led to a fifth-place result in China.

The reality is Bearman is growing into one of the best drivers on the grid.

The 20-year-old held off four-time champion Max Verstappen for the final point in the sprint race. He followed that up by showing enough pace to put himself out of Verstappen's reach Sunday before the Red Bull driver retired. Though Verstappen's car is by no means the benchmark, Bearman's been the most impressive midfield driver for a while.

Reliability concerns, such as the ones seen with McLaren and Red Bull, means nothing is guaranteed, though the Ferrari power unit - like the one in Bearman's Haas - seems to be the least affected. That could spell opportunity for Bearman.

There seems to be a divide on these regulations

If you found these new regulations growing on you during the Chinese Grand Prix, I would caution you not to let Verstappen know.

Verstappen, who has been the most vocal critic of the new rules, upped the ante after retiring in Sunday's race due to a power unit issue. He called the regulations "terrible" and added that "if someone likes this, then you really don't know what racing is about."

Compare that to Hamilton, who complimented the new cars for their ability to follow well and said he thinks "it’s the best racing that I’ve ever experienced in Formula 1."

Verstappen says he speaks for most drivers, and the ones who hold different opinions is due to the fact that they're winning. There's truth to some of that, with public pushback against these cars coming from the likes of Lando Norris and Fernando Alonso - both of their teams are struggling. So, is it possible Verstappen is speaking out of frustration because he's not at the front anymore? He says no, but surely that can't be helping.

So, where does that leave F1? China gave a more sensible perspective on the regulations after last week's race in Australia bordered on farcical at times due to the track's limited opportunities to charge the battery, leading to a comical number of overtakes. Quality is always better than quantity, and China delivered more of the former with more wheel-to-wheel battles rather than the "yo-yo racing" witnessed in Australia.

Still, there feels to be something missing at times as drivers slow down on straights and in corners to better optimize battery deployment. Nowhere is this felt more than in qualifying, with Charles Leclerc saying Saturday that crazy laps and risk taking bares little reward with the current cars.

F1 seems headed for a boiling point with these regulations, with Verstappen leading the opposition. Maybe the truth is neither side is wrong. To Hamilton's point, the lighter cars and active aerodynamics have made racing much more fun as a product. But to also back Verstappen, the power units have eroded the soul of the sport itself. In a world where an increasing number of fields are pivoting toward automation, the last thing F1 needs is a battery replacing human bravery.

Daniel Valente is theScore's lead Formula 1 writer. Daniel has covered the sport for multiple years, conducting analysis and interviewing key figures inside the paddock. His expertise is breaking down data and discovering unique stats. Follow Daniel on X at @F1GuyDan.