What the teams said – Race day in China

Kimi Antonelli secured his maiden Formula 1 victory at the Chinese Grand Prix, putting in an assured performance to lead a Mercedes 1-2 finish ahead of teammate George Russell. Lewis Hamilton completed the podium in third, marking his first rostrum with Ferrari after a fierce battle with Charles Leclerc, who finished fourth. The race was defined by high tension, strategic maneuvers during a Safety Car period, and significant reliability drama across the grid. McLaren endured a disastrous day, with both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri suffering separate electrical issues that forced a double DNS. Red Bull's struggles continued as Max Verstappen retired with an ERS cooling issue, while Aston Martin also suffered a double retirement. In the midfield, Oliver Bearman took an impressive fifth for Haas, with Alpine securing a double-points finish through Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto, while Liam Lawson salvaged seventh for Racing Bulls despite a challenging strategic window.