Who is the youngest pole-sitter in F1 history?

Kimi Antonelli is the youngest pole-sitter in F1 history, achieving this at 19 years old during the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix.

What happened to George Russell in qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix?

George Russell experienced a suspected gearbox issue in the final stages of qualifying, which hampered his car's performance and his ability to challenge for pole position.

How does Kimi Antonelli's record compare to Sebastian Vettel's?

Kimi Antonelli's record as the youngest F1 pole-sitter at 19 years old breaks the previous record held by Sebastian Vettel, who was 21 when he achieved his first pole.

Home / Sports / Record Broken: Antonelli is F1's Youngest Pole

Record Broken: Antonelli is F1's Youngest Pole

14 Mar

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Summary

Kimi Antonelli is the youngest pole-sitter in F1 history.
Antonelli, 19, secured pole for the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix.
George Russell faced technical issues impacting his qualifying run.

Record Broken: Antonelli is F1's Youngest Pole

Kimi Antonelli has achieved a historic milestone, becoming the youngest pole-sitter in Formula 1 history. At 19 years old, he secured pole position for the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit. Antonelli's remarkable lap time of 1:32.064-seconds placed him ahead of his Mercedes teammate, George Russell, by two-tenths of a second.

Russell, who had earlier dominated sprint qualifying and the sprint race, encountered a suspected gearbox issue in the final stages of qualifying. This problem briefly stopped his car on track and hampered his ability to change gears, significantly impacting his final qualifying effort.