Antonelli Masters Suzuka
Kimi Antonelli won the Japanese Grand Prix—his second straight victory—and became the youngest F1 World Championship leader as Suzuka drew a record 130,000 crowd. (f1-fansite.com) (broadwayworld.com)
The race was staged at Suzuka on 29 March 2026 over 53 laps covering 307.471 km. (en.wikipedia.org) Antonelli had claimed pole in qualifying with a 1:28.778 but lost several places off the line, dropping to sixth before mounting a recovery. (formula1.com) A Safety Car was brought out on lap 22 after Haas driver Oliver Bearman struck the barriers at the Spoon Curve in a reported ~50G impact; Bearman was treated in the circuit medical centre and cleared of fractures. (formula1.com) The Safety Car phase proved decisive—Antonelli worked back through the pack and crossed the line 13.722 seconds ahead of Oscar Piastri, also setting the race fastest lap of 1:32.432 on lap 49. (planetf1.com) The result moved Antonelli to 72 championship points, nine clear of team‑mate George Russell and 23 ahead of Charles Leclerc, with the calendar next pausing for a five‑week gap before Round 4 in Miami. (formula1.com) Organisers reported a three‑day weekend total attendance of 315,000—the highest Suzuka turnout since 2006—and YOSHIKI performed the Japanese national anthem in a pre‑race ceremony that was broadcast internationally. (formula1-data.com)
