The Biggest Winners and Losers of the F1 Chinese Grand Prix

Matt Hylen
3 minutes ago
6 min read

The 2026 Formula One Chinese Grand Prix is offically wrapped and it did not disappoint. Wheel-to-wheel racing was the story of the weekend, but position battles happening everywhere you looked. Though one team did reign surpreme this weekend, a lot of positives can be taken from the other competitng teams. With that said, some teams flopped dramatically this weekend, ending their time in China in shambles.

There were definitely a bunch of winners this weekend, but at the same time a lot of losers. With drivers and teams still foguring out how to functuion under the new regulations, it is still a guessing game as to what side each team falls on. With that said, I narrowed down the list to the three 3 biggest winners and losers from the weekend as a whole.

Before we get into my biggest winners and losers, here are a couple of reminders and a look at both standings:

Formula One has two main championship competitions. The first of the two Championships is the Drivers' Championship, which is a competition based on the drivers' individual performance. On a regular Grand Prix, the drivers who finish in the top 10 in each race will score points (the higher you place, the more points you get). On Sprint Races, The top eight will score points, with the amount being less than a Grand Prix. These points are added up, and whichever driver finishes with the most points at the end of the season will win the Drivers' Championship.

The next is the Constructors' Championship, a competition between the teams. The number of points the drivers within a team get each race is combined, creating the total points for the team (e.g., George Russell has scored 51 points and Kimi Antonelli has scored 47 points, giving the Mercedes team 98 points in the Constructors' Championship). The team whose drivers accumulate the most points combined for their team will win the Constructors' Championship.

Now, here is a look at the standings for both Championships:

Drivers' Championship Standings:

George Russell 51 points
Kimi Antonelli 47 points
Charles Leclerc 34 points
Lewis Hamilton 33 points
Oliver Bearman 17 points
Lando Norris 15 points
Pierre Gasly 9 points
Max Verstappen 8 points
Liam Lawson 8 points
Arvid Lindblad 4 points
Isack Hadjar 4 points
Oscar Piastri 3 points
Carlos Sainz 2 points
Gabriel Bortoleto 2 points
Franco Colapinto 1 points
Esteban Ocon 0 points
Nico Hülkenberg 0 points
Alex Albon 0 points
Valtteri Bottas 0 points
Sergio Perez 0 points
Fernando Alonso 0 points
Lance Stroll 0 points

Constructors' Championship Standings:

Mercedes 98 points
Ferrari 67 points
McLaren 18 points
Haas 17 points
Red Bull 12 points
VCARB 12 points
Alpine 10 points
Audi 2 points
Williams 2 points
Cadillac 0 points
Aston Martin 0 points

Standings were found at F1.com.

Winner: Kimi Antonelli

Let's start with the biggest winner of all, shall we?

Kimi Antonelli's win may have been the most wholesome moment the sport has seen in a long time. It's impossible not to be happy for Kimi. From his post-race radio message, to his emotional post-race interview, to his face when he walked onto the podium, you could not feel anything but pure happiness for what he accomplished in China.

Sure, his Sprint race was not ideal with the penalty he received, but he bounced back beautifully in the main race qualifying, becoming the youngest driver to ever achieve pole position. He then followed that up with a terrific fight against Lewis Hamilton for the lead in the opening laps. Lewis did put up a good fight, but once Antonelli got through, he was able to pull away with ease. As I predicted in my bold predictions article (check that out if you have not already, link below this article!), Kimi put himself on the map this weekend. He showed exactly why he was worth every bit of the risk Toto Wolff took on him. He still has a long way to go this season, but winning the second race of the year sets the standard that he can absolutely compete for a championship.

Loser: Red Bull

Yikes, Red Bull.

After Red Bull showed what seemed to be a solid pace in Australia, the car completely fell off a cliff in China. Max Verstappen was going on and on about how "undrivable" the car is, while expressing the displeasure he has with the new regulations. This frustration was absolutely warranted, however, with the car falling apart during the weekend.

It was later revealed that the Red Bull car is overweight, which could be the reason for their issues. If this is true, it is a major concern for a team in their first year creating their own engine. I mean, if it weren't for Max Verstappen being the driver he is, this car would have looked like the 8th or 9th best car.

The only bright side is that Max and Isack were driving at a similar pace this weekend, so at least that isn't the issue. Regardless, Red Bull need to figure things out and fast because they look like a midfield team at the moment.

Winner: Alpine

Alpine took full advantage of all the chaos happening around them. With both McLarens not starting, the expectation was for Alpine to be right with the rest of the midfield and in points conversations. They ultimately delivered on this, coming away with the best weekend they've had since Brazil in 2022.

The biggest win for Alpine this weekend was that we finally saw the version of Franco Colapinto they were hoping to get. It has not been an easy journey for Franco, but his resilience paid off, with the Argentinian even driving in 2nd place at one point. We all know what Gasly can do with a good car under him; he is a very talented driver who should be competing for points every weekend. However, with Colapinto showing he can compete at that level as well, it makes things very interesting moving forward at the front of the midfield.

Overall, this was a great weekend for Alpine. They took advantage of the opportunity that opened up for them in the Grand Prix, showing they currently have what it takes to compete in the midfield.

Loser: McLaren

Speaking of McLaren, what a horrific weekend for the entire team. Considering they did not participate in the race, there is not much to say other than it is simply unacceptable. With a Mercedes engine in the car, McLaren needs to find stability, which has been far from the case thus far. Eventually, I am sure they will figure it out, but for now this is a very bad look for what should be a contending team.

Winner: Oliver Bearman

With every race weekend that goes by, Oliver Bearman is really putting himself in pretty interesting conversations. Having outperformed the car once again, Bearman was consistent and quick all weekend long.

With points scored in both the Sprint and Grand Prix, it is becoming more of an expectation rather than a surprise. He is miles ahead of his teammate Esteban Ocon in basically every aspect, with the young Brit now 5th in the Drivers' Standings. If Bearman keeps up this form, which seems likely, Ferrari will be having some very interesting discussions come year's end. For now, Bearman has so much to be proud of leaving China.

Loser: Audi

Considering how good Audi looked pace-wise last time out, this was a huge missed opportunity for Audi. Engine issues plagued them again this weekend, with Hülkenberg not starting the Sprint and Bortoleto not starting the race. Despite a double McLaren DNS and DNFs from top runners such as Max Verstappen, neither Audi was able to score points this weekend.

This is all a part of the learning curve for Audi, as they are a new team in the sport. With that said, they have the pace but not the reliability, which does concern me. We will see how they bounce back in Japan, but a huge missed chance for Audi in China.

Honorable Mentions:

My biggest honorable mention in the Winners column is Lewis Hamilton. Scoring his first podium at Ferrari was an amazing achievement, showing the world that he still has gas left in the tank. Other winners in my mind were Liam Lawson for his points gained in both the Sprint and Grand Prix and Cadillac for having both drivers finish the race.

In terms of honorable mentions in the losers department, the biggest one I had was Esteban Ocon for getting severely outperformed by his teammate yet again and receiving a penalty for a horrible overtake attempt on Franco Colapinto. Other losers of the weekend, in my mind, included Aston Martin for all of their continuing issues and Alex Albon for being far off the pace of his teammate in the sessions he participated in.