Antonelli stuns at Suzuka
Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli came from P6 to win the Japanese GP — his second straight victory — and became the youngest driver to lead the F1 championship after overtaking Oscar Piastri and holding on in the closing laps ( ). The podium read Antonelli, Piastri and Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari), signaling a seismic momentum shift for Mercedes under the new regulations (bbc.com).
A heavy crash for Haas’ Ollie Bearman at the Spoon Curve on lap 22 forced a Safety Car after he lost control attempting a pass, with trackside medics treating him and X‑rays later showing a right‑knee contusion. (espn.com) Only a handful of front‑runners — notably Antonelli and Lewis Hamilton — had yet to pit when the Safety Car was deployed, allowing them to stop for Hard tyres at a reduced time cost and reshuffle the running order. (mercedesamgf1.com) The driver who capitalised on that stop built a gap of 13.722 seconds to the following car and finished with an official race time of 1:28:03.403. (formula1.com) The post‑race standings show the new points leader on 72 points, nine clear of team‑mate George Russell, with Charles Leclerc third on 49; Mercedes now top the Constructors’ classification by 45 points over Ferrari. (livemint.com) George Russell changed tyres just moments before the Safety Car and radioed “Unbelievable” after the interruption, a sequence he and Mercedes described as costing him a shot at a stronger finish. (espn.com) Oscar Piastri’s second‑place came with the bonus of his first completed race of the 2026 campaign after missing starts earlier in the season, giving McLaren valuable confirmation of race pace. (formula1.com) Mercedes framed the outcome as a combination of pace and fortunate timing, saying the team will use the upcoming mini‑break before Miami to refine performance even as they lead both championships. (mercedesamgf1.com)
