Japanese Grand Prix: Kimi Antonelli Earns 2nd Consecutive F1 Victory

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli, the youngest Formula One driver to win back-to-back pole positions, has demonstrated his talent in the early portion of the 2026 season, including at the Japanese Grand Prix.

On March 15, the 19-year-old Italian made the most of his starting position by winning the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai. In doing so, he became the youngest-ever F1 race winner.

Then, on Sunday, March 29, Antonelli overcame a poor start at Suzuka Circuit, where he slipped to sixth place on the opening lap. But that proved to only be a temporary setback for the Bologna native. He moved up to fourth place by the 11th lap. And he grabbed the lead on Lap 21, then held the top spot for the rest of the 53-lap race while also benefiting from a five-lap safety car period that started near the midway point.

As a result, Antonelli became the youngest wheelman to sit atop the F1 drivers' standings. Five-time Japanese Grand Prix winner Lewis Hamilton previously held that record, which he set at age 22 in 2007.

"It feels great to get my second win!" Antonelli said. "I made a bad start from pole and was kicking myself that we lost so many positions. When we were in free air on the medium tire though, I was able to improve my pace quite a lot."

Top Finishers at the Japanese Grand Prix

On the 49th lap, Antonelli was clocked in 1 minute, 32.432 seconds for the day's fastest lap in Suzuka, Mie Prefecture.

He completed the Japanese Grand Prix in 1 hour, 28 minutes, 3.403 seconds, finishing 13.722 seconds ahead of Australian runner-up Oscar Piastri, who races for McLaren.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc placed third, 15.270 seconds off the winning pace. Mercedes' George Russell was fourth and McLaren's Lando Norris finished fifth among 22 entrants.

End of a Title Run

Max Verstappen's four-race Japanese GP victory streak (2022-25) ended on Sunday. The Red Bull driver, who lined up 11th on the starting grid, placed eighth.

"For this race I tried everything I could to get back into the points and work myself forward," Verstappen said after the race. "I had a better start, maximized my race and recovered positions. I tried to pass the Alpine [car], but Pierre [Gasly] did a good job with no mistakes and made it unfortunately too difficult."

Haas' Bearman Crashes Out of Japanese Grand Prix

On the 22nd lap, Haas driver Oliver Bearman, while in pursuit of Alpine's Franco Colapinto, experienced a scary moment as his car avoided a collision with his F1 rival's but spun and collided with a barrier.

After the crash, Bearman said he sustained a "right knee contusion." He was taken to a local hospital for medical tests, but said he was OK.

Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu spoke about the accident on Sky Sports' TV coverage of the race.

"He just had a huge closing speed against Colapinto so he had to take avoiding action and he went on the grass and crashed, so yeah, scary," Komatsu said of Bearman on the Sky Sports telecast.

Antonelli Capitalizes on Opportunity

Due to Bearman's crash, a safety car period, which lasted for five laps, was implemented by race officials.

When it began, Antonelli left the track for a tire change. And when he returned, he retained the lead and gradually expanded it.

"I don't know what would have happened, what the outcome would have been without the safety car," Antonelli said. "But that definitely made life a lot easier."

Despite a stroke of good fortune, Mercedes team executive Toto Wolff said Antonell's talent shined through during the Japanese Grand Prix.

"Sometimes you need luck to go your way in racing and that was the case with Kimi today," Wolff said, according to Formula One's official website. "He lost positions at the start but was able to get them back with a fortunately timed safety car. Whilst that was helpful to him, his pace in the second half of the race showed what he was capable of."

Japanese Grand Prix Notes

The 2026 F1 season resumes with the Miami Grand Prix on May 3. April's Bahrain GP and Saudi Arabia GP were canceled due to the war in the Middle East, creating a five-week break between competitions.

Hamilton, who has an F1 career-best 105 wins, said the time off can be put to good use.

"It was a demanding race, and clearly not the result I wanted," Hamilton told reporters at Suzuka Circuit. "My first stint went well in terms of tire management, but I simply didn't have the pace to compete."

He then said, "The focus now is on understanding why and finding ways to improve. With a month before the next race, we'll use the time to analyze every detail from these first three races and make sure we come back stronger."