The first Sprint weekend of the season delivered a blockbuster trip to Shanghai, a destination that drivers continue to circle as a highlight on the Formula 1 calendar. With passionate fans turning out in force and plenty happening around the paddock throughout the week, the atmosphere made for a memorable return to China.<\/p>\n
There was plenty of on-track drama for the first Sprint weekend of F1\u2019s new era, with Kimi Antonelli<\/a> taking an emotional maiden win in the Grand Prix, the Ferraris<\/a> locked in a fierce battle, and plenty of shocks and upsets throughout the field. But those weren\u2019t the only stories from the Grand Prix weekend \u2013 so here are some off-track moments you should know about…<\/p>\n Driver adventures in China<\/p>\n China is easily one of the drivers\u2019 favourite places to explore away from the circuit, so it\u2019s no surprise that many headed there early before the Grand Prix weekend got underway. Franco Colapinto<\/a> amused fans with his Chinese adventures roaming around the Bund district, where he ended up getting a little lost!<\/p>\n Lewis Hamilton<\/a> has often spoken about his love for the country, and during his visit, he enjoyed several adventures of his own \u2013 including horse riding, visiting a local village, and spending quality time with his mum. Later in the week, the Brit felt that affection returned when he attended the TeamLH China art show, taking time to admire a gallery of crafts created in his honour.<\/p>\n Sightseeing has been a favourite pastime for drivers in the week leading up to a race, with Charles Leclerc<\/a> and Carlos Sainz<\/a> making the most of their stay in the Enchanting City by immersing themselves in the local culture \u2013 especially when it came to sampling the food and drink!<\/p>\n But perhaps no one seemed to enjoy the weekend quite as much as Hamilton\u2019s mum, Carmen Larbalestier. After spending quality time with her son earlier in the week, she was a constant presence in the garage across the race weekend, supporting him with a bright smile on her face.<\/p>\n It proved to be a particularly special few days for the pair, as Hamilton secured his first podium with Scuderia \u2013 a perfect Mother\u2019s Day present, if you ask us.<\/p>\n Mercedes trio take the podium<\/p>\n This weekend was a historic one for Mercedes<\/a>\u2019 Antonelli \u2013 not only did he become the youngest-ever polesitter in the sport, but he also converted it into his maiden F1 victory.<\/p>\n The reactions and celebrations that followed his pole position and victory on Sunday have been incredibly wholesome. But one moment made it all the more special came at the podium ceremony…<\/p>\n The trio of Antonelli, George Russell<\/a> and Hamilton sharing the podium was particularly heartwarming, representing three \u2018generations\u2019 of Mercedes drivers past and present. With Antonelli bravely stepping into the seat once occupied by Hamilton at Mercedes, the result felt somewhat symbolic of a new era beginning while also celebrating the legend\u2019s long-awaited return to the podium.<\/p>\n It became even more meaningful when race engineer Pete \u2018Bono\u2019 Bonnington stepped up to collect the constructors\u2019 trophy alongside them. Sharing the moment with his current driver Antonelli, fresh from his first victory, and Hamilton, whom he worked with for many years before the Briton\u2019s move to Ferrari, made the occasion all the more emotional. Toto Wolff was even left questioning whether he had three Mercedes\u2019 running in the race!<\/p>\n Franco x Punch the Monkey<\/p>\n Colapinto hasn\u2019t been shy about his love for viral star \u2018Punch the Monkey\u2019, often mentioning how much he thinks about the adorable celeb. The Argentine even arrived in the paddock on media day with a brand-new Punch sticker proudly displayed on his water bottle and showed every camera he passed \u2013 much to fans\u2019 delight.<\/p>\n Come Saturday, one supporter made Colapinto\u2019s day by surprising him with his very own \u201cemotional support\u201d monkey plushie reminiscent of the one Punch himself carries \u2013 and it barely left the Argentine\u2019s side for the rest of the weekend whenever he wasn\u2019t in the car. With the Alpine<\/a> driver going on to score his first points for Alpine in Sunday\u2019s Grand Prix, his new companion might just have become his lucky charm!<\/p>\n There\u2019s no place like home for Zhou<\/p>\n