Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli recovered from a poor start to win back-to-back Formula 1 races, taking victory at the Japanese Grand Prix after capitalizing on a well-timed safety car.
The Italian started from his second straight pole position after a strong showing in Saturday's qualifying session, but made another slow getaway and dropped to sixth, as McLaren's Oscar Piastri surged from third on the grid into the lead at Turn 1.
Antonelli's teammate George Russell was also squeezed at the first corner, falling from second to fourth, but climbed back to second by lap four and looked set to challenge Piastri for the lead.
Russell passed Piastri at the chicane on lap eight but left himself exposed after using all his battery deployment, allowing Piastri to repass the Mercedes on the following straight.
Antonelli had worked his way back up to fourth before the pit window, but appeared out of contention for victory. However, the race turned decisively when Ollie Bearman crashed heavily at Spoon Curve, prompting a safety car. With Piastri, Russell and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc having already stopped, Antonelli was able to pit under the neutralization and emerge in the lead for the restart.
With no further pit stops required after racing resumed on lap 27, Antonelli was in complete control, producing a faultless second stint and steadily pulling clear, at times by around one second per lap, before taking the chequered flag 13.7 seconds ahead of Piastri.
"It feels pretty good! Of course, it's too early to think about the championship but we are on a good way," said Antonelli, who becomes the youngest person to lead the F1 drivers' standings.
"I had a terrible start. I need to check what happened. Then I was lucky with the safety car to be in the lead but then the pace was incredible.
"It was really nice. The second stint I felt very good with the car. I'm very pleased with that.
"I don't know what the outcome would have been without the Safety Car but it made my life a lot easier."
Behind Antonelli, second place marked a welcome return to form for Piastri, who had failed to start the previous two grands prix after crashing on the way to the grid in Australia and suffering technical problems in China.
Leclerc rounded out the podium after holding off Russell, who had a troubled second half of the race. After complaining over team radio about his misfortune with the timing of the safety car, the Briton lost third to Lewis Hamilton at the restart and dropped to fifth several laps later.
Russell later passed Hamilton to reclaim fourth and briefly moved ahead of Leclerc at the chicane on lap 51, but was again unable to hold position as Leclerc swept around the outside at Turn 1 to retake third.
Piastri's teammate Lando Norris finished fifth, with Hamilton fading to sixth in the second Ferrari after having run third at the race's halfway point.
Pierre Gasly held his starting position to finish seventh for Alpine ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who endured a difficult weekend in a car not currently capable of challenging for top honors.
Liam Lawson was ninth for Racing Bulls, while Haas driver Esteban Ocon claimed his first point of the season in 10th.
After three rounds of the 2026 season, Antonelli leads the drivers' championship for the first time with 72 points. Russell is second on 63, with Leclerc third on 49.
Mercedes leads the constructors' standings with 135 points, ahead of Ferrari on 90 and McLaren on 46.
With the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix canceled due to the conflict in the Middle East, Formula 1 now faces a five-week break before the next round in Miami.
- Kimi Antonelli
- F1
- GP
- Japan
Source: www.dailyfinland.fi
