Kimi Antonelli says he gave himself a heart attack after mistake in Chinese Grand Prix

The Mercedes youngster became the first Italian in 20 years to stand on the top step of an F1 podium when compatriot Giancarlo Fisichella won the 2006 Malaysian Grand Prix for Renault.

Antonelli did well staying calm when Hamilton passed him at the start and regained the position while going on to do his own race at the front as Russell, Hamilton, and Charles Leclerc fought behind him for the remaining podium places.

Speaking of the race start, Antonelli said: "It was not an easy start. Probably I covered a bit too much on the inside and gave too much room to the Ferrari. At the end the pace was good, and we managed to bring it home."

However, Antonelli locked up towards the end of the race while leading Russell by over nine seconds, losing a couple in the process but managing to go on.

He said of the incident: "I gave myself a ​little bit of a heart attack towards the end with a flat spot [on the tyre]."

His race engineer Peter Bonnington had to calm him down over the radio, urging him to bring the car home, which Antonelli duly did.

He added: "There’s so much that I’ve learned, but first of all, it’s never to relax too much because today it went ⁠well, but ​it could have been worse.

"Just always try to ​stay on point and keep the focus because today at the end I opened the room for mistakes, and the mistake ​happened.

"I just need to make sure it doesn’t happen again," the 19-year-old driver maintained.

Antonelli is now second in the 2026 F1 Drivers' Championship, four points behind Russell. (Reporting by Agnes Carlier)