ANTONELLI THE YOUNGEST TO F1 POLE, RUSSELL WINS SPRINT

The 19-year-old Italian Kimi Antonelli took pole position for the Chinese Grand Prix on Saturday, becoming the youngest driver to achieve the feat in Formula 1 history.

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Antonelli led a Mercedes front-row lockout along with George Russell and erased the record of Sebastian Vettel, who was 21 when he took pole for the Italian Grand Prix in 2008.

“I’m happy with the lap I did,” Antonelli told reporters. “And really happy to be starting on pole for my first time.”

The Mercedes duo, as in Australia last weekend, have been dominant in Shanghai.

Antonelli blasted round in 1min 32.064sec, 0.222sec ahead of championship leader Russell, who had won the sprint race earlier in the day.

“It was a pretty clean session,” added Antonelli.

“It was nice because for the first time in a qualifying session I was able to find lap times every time I was going on track.”

The Ferrari pair of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will fill the second row of the grid for Sunday’s race after qualifying third and fourth.

Then came the two McLarens of Oscar Piastri and world champion Lando Norris.

Max Verstappen was only eighth fastest, continuing an unhappy weekend in a clearly struggling Red Bull.

Pierre Gasly was seventh in the Alpine with the second Red Bull of Isack Hadjar ninth and Oliver Bearman’s Haas rounding out the top 10.

Russell earlier won a thrilling sprint race after a back-and-forth scrap in the opening laps with Hamilton, who eventually finished third behind Leclerc.

It enabled the Mercedes driver, who won the opening race in Australia, to extend his championship lead to 11 points over teammate Antonelli and Leclerc. Hamilton is a further four points back.