Kimi Antonelli delivered a composed drive to win the Japanese Grand Prix and take the lead of the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship, securing the second victory of his career for Mercedes at Suzuka. The young Italian capitalized on a mid-race safety car to overturn a difficult start and depose teammate George Russell at the top of the standings.
Antonelli began from pole but bogged down at lights out, slipping to fifth as McLaren’s Oscar Piastri surged into the lead, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris slotting in behind. Russell, the stronger Mercedes in the opening phase after also losing ground off the line, fought back to second.
Early in the first stint, Russell attacked Piastri at the chicane, briefly nosing ahead before the McLaren reclaimed the lead down the main straight. Behind them, Leclerc, Norris and Antonelli diced, with Antonelli moving past Norris for fourth on lap 11.
McLaren triggered the first round of pit stops, calling Norris on lap 17 and bringing Piastri in from the lead two laps later. The Australian rejoined in sixth, opening the door for rivals running longer to profit if the race neutralized.
That opportunity arrived when Ollie Bearman crashed heavily, prompting a safety car. Staying out on extended opening stints, Antonelli and Lewis Hamilton pitted under caution and emerged first and fourth respectively. “Ollie has reported to be OK and sustained no fractures from his earlier crash,” the TGR Haas F1 Team confirmed.
The race resumed on lap 27 with Antonelli at the front, and Hamilton immediately passed Russell to move into the top three. Four laps later, Lance Stroll retired with a mechanical issue—his third retirement in as many races—becoming the second withdrawal of the afternoon after Bearman.
With 16 laps to go, Antonelli had built a five-second buffer over Piastri, with Hamilton shadowing the McLaren and Russell in fourth. Russell then slipped to fifth after losing out to the second Ferrari. In the closing stages, Ferrari featured prominently as Leclerc dueled Hamilton for the final podium spot and ultimately secured third, finishing ahead of his teammate.
Antonelli’s win, ahead of Piastri and Leclerc, vaults him above Russell in the drivers’ standings, putting him at the top of the championship for the first time. It continues a run in which Antonelli has outpaced Russell in recent rounds, despite Russell being widely tipped as the title favorite.
What’s next: All eyes turn to whether Antonelli can consolidate his newfound lead, if McLaren can convert race-leading pace into a win, and how Ferrari’s late-race form and Mercedes’ intra-team battle evolve in the coming rounds.
Source: si.com