It’s a Sunday, it’s 2 AM, do you know where your 30-something boyfriend is? If you happen to be my Girlfriend, the answer would be, on the couch (rather the edge of it), eagerly awaiting the conclusion of yet another F1 Race.

F1, being an international racing competition, necessarily means that some competitions will occur in timezone that are less than ideal, if you, like me reside within the Midwestern United States (namely, the Central Time Zone.)

Grand Prix weekends are full of many events, and this time around we had the pleasure of a Sprint Race being included among the retinue of those regularly included. This inclusion reduces the number of Practices to 1, and includes an additional Sprint Qualifier, as well as the aforementioned race itself.

This time around, I was unable to enjoy the Practices, and the Qualifiers, but I did have the pleasure of enjoying both the Sprint Race itself, and the main event as it were. The former took place between 2200 and 2330 leaving me only slightly less time for a restful sleep, whereas the full 56 Lap Race had a duration of 0200 to nearly 0430.

If it weren’t for the race I otherwise would have been unconscious by the latter half, but I had decided to try my hand at recording notes throughout the proceedings, and I’ll be attempting to recap the events as I wrote them this time around. Bare with me, as I still consider myself a neophyte both as a fan, and writer of F1 content.

Before the lights went out in Shanghai, we already had several drivers that were out due to technical difficulties. McLaren’s miserable weekend in China culminated in both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri left at the Pit with their MCL40s. Norris stating that his vehicle was experiencing “an issue that’s not letting us even start the car.” This is a full 180 from last year where the team secured a 1-2 as a part of what was a stellar season in 2025. It also marked the second week in a row where Piastri was unable to compete. Adding insult to injury, both had qualified for the third row on the grid with Norris in P4 and Piastri in P6 Respectively; casting doubt over their chances for success this year.

Lap 1

Verstappen the Four-time world champion, is still struggling at launch, with a serious lack power behind him. Isack Hadjar was not much better off, as the Frenchman and Dutchman were starting in P8 and P10 respectively.

Antonelli, the youngest driver to acheive Pole Position, immediately lost his lead on launch, getting swarmed by several competitors, particularly from the Ferrari’s, Hamilton and LeClerc. The frackus at the start saw several near misses and a few drivers ending up off the road, but the Ferrari’s were just getting started.

Lap 8

Lawson and Verstappen who’d ended up wearing through their tyres early on were given an rather unfortunate turn of events, as just after pitting, a Virtual Safety Car was issued. Strohl loses control, and several minutes of VSC allow most of the other competitors the opportunity to swap tyres for massive advantages.

Lap 11

The Safety Car continues, and Colapinto makes grand strides, using his Hard tyres to attain a brief 2nd position.

Lap 14

The Safety Car finally ends with the following update positions: 1. Antonelli 2. Colapinto 3. Ocon 4. Hamilton 5. Russell

Lap 15

Russell ends up behind both Ferrari Drivers, and announces that he’s “got no grip” from his back tyres.

Lap 16

Lindblad and Bearman are Neck & Neck aggressively trying to take a position from one another. Meanwhile Hamilton, podium-less since Belgium ‘24, is doing his best to try and snatch 1st place from Antonelli.

Lap 20

Colapinto is STILL holding his own in the top 5, now at 5th position. He considers Bearman to be a strong opponent.

Lap 22

Bearman overtakes, achieving 5th.

Lap 23

Gasly and Verstappen have a few close calls, with Gasly engaging in some “hopeful wingeing” according to a race commentator.

Lap 25

Hamilton and LeClerc begin arguably the most entertaining fight of the race. The pair get dangerously close, overtaking each other in the so-called “Yo-yo Racing” that this years regulations have created.

Lap 27

The Feud of the Ferraris continues. The two are a crimson spectacle threatening to cost the team any points, let alone a podium for either. Antonelli has secured a 6 second lead on the pair, with Russell sliding into third ahead of Hamilton.

Lap 28

Lindblad causes a spin out all by himself.

Lap 29

Russell returns to Second Position, but it remains to be seen if he can maintain this position for long.

Lap 30

Bottas and Perez of Cadillac end up in 14th and 15th respectively.

Lap 32

Antonelli with a comfortable 8 Second lead on his partner Russell. LeClerc refers to a mysterious “Plan C.”

Lap 34

Ocon and Colapinto collide, and Alonzo of Aston Martin brings his race to a close, retiring due to safety concerns once again.

Lap 35-36

Hamilton claims he’s lost power, but ends up back in 3rd anyway.

Lap 37

Upon review, Ocon receives a 10 second penalty.

Lap 40-42

Ferrari’s back at it again, with LeClerc admitting that the battle is fun.

Lap 43

Antonelli is so far ahead, he is nearly lapping Hulkenberg and Ocon.

Lap 46

Verstappen retires, another disappointing outcome for an otherwise skilled driver.

Lap 49

Bearman still holds onto 5th Place, broadcasting that he wishes the old regulation were still in effect.

Lap 50

Antonell is 9 Seconds ahead and uncontested. Likely the second youngest GP Winner in history! Russell says his rears are out.

Lap 53

Antonelli gives the crowd a heart stopping moment where he loses control momentarily, regaining it just outside of Lap 54.

Lap 56

Antonelli is within reach of victory… And WINS at 19 Years and 202 days old! He’s followed by Russell in 2nd, and Hamilton rounds out the podium.

Wow, wow, WOW! This was an incredible piece of racing entertainment! I was absolutely locked in the whole time, pulse pounding, and pen frantically cataloguing the details. Not a disappointing follow up for my first Season of F1 watching! I am still rooting for the underdog of Cadillac, understanding they have a long way to go, but the drivers behind their wheels have a pedigree that can lead them to greatness. If I were to pick a second team to follow however… It has to be the boys in Red. Ferrari has two fantastic drivers, with great attitudes.

Hamilton is simply magnetic, with the charm and swagger that exudes confidence, and compassion in equal measure. It is easy to see why he had an entire section of fans at the track cheering him on this weekend. He even took the time to greet and thank the audience in their native language, a classy and thoughful move on his part. Surely his mother, who was in attendance, felt pride in his performance.

LeClerc is also proving to be a charismatic competitor, and his entertaining, albeit dangerous competition with his partner served to fuel both anxiety and excitement across the community, if the reactions I’ve since viewed are any measure of his impact. They are certainly threading a fine line, but it is a line I’m very eager to keep an eye on this season.

My Congratulations to Kimi Antonelli, achieving a goal that so few have done at so young an age. His initial trouble at the race start served to galvanize his resolve, and secured yet another Mercedes 1-2, with Russel still maintaining the lead for points overall.

It seems that most of the drivers are still adjusting to these new regulations, and it will take some time before everyone reaches a level of comfort to compete more aggressively. We have a week off before Japan on March 26-29, then a much larger gap until Miami, as both the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia GPs have been cancelled do to the ongoing Israeli-American War. Mayhap next year these two stops will return in full force.

So, this is me signing off for a much needed rest, though my excitement and anticipation is palpable for what lies ahead!