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Kimi Antonelli wins Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, becomes youngest F1 championship leader at 19, aided by safety car after Oliver Bearman crash.
Formula One: Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli won the Japanese Grand Prix (AP)
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli won the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday to secure his second consecutive Formula One victory and become the youngest-ever championship leader at 19.
The Italian, who started from pole but quickly dropped back to sixth, crossed the line 13.7 seconds ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc completing the podium.
His Mercedes team-mate George Russell finished fourth, with world champion Lando Norris fifth in the other McLaren, ahead of Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton.
Kimi Antonelli‘s win at Suzuka followed his victory in China and gave him a nine-point lead over Russell in the overall standings. It also made him the first Italian to win two F1 races in a row since Alberto Ascari in 1953.
Did Kimi Antonelli Get Lucky?
Antonelli inherited the lead when his rivals, including team-mate Russell, pitted for fresh tyres shortly before a heavy crash for Haas driver Oliver Bearman triggered a safety car.
That allowed Antonelli to pit and retain the lead, leaving Russell, who had stopped just a lap earlier, cursing his luck.
“I was lucky with the safety car but the pace was unbelievable in the end,” Antonelli said on the team radio.
“We definitely dodged a bullet today,” his race engineer replied.
Is Oliver Bearman Okay After Crash
Bearman was given the all-clear by doctors after limping away from the high-speed crash, which came after he closed rapidly on Franco Colapinto’s Alpine and ran onto the grass before sliding heavily into the barriers.
He underwent an X-ray at the circuit’s medical centre, which revealed a right knee contusion but no fractures, a Haas spokesperson said.
Norris also pitted under the safety car to move up to third, but he was unable to hold on to the podium place.
Pierre Gasly finished seventh for Alpine, while Red Bull’s four-time world champion Max Verstappen salvaged some points in eighth.
Liam Lawson was ninth for Racing Bulls, with Esteban Ocon 10th in his Haas.
(With inputs from Agencies)
March 29, 2026, 1:46 PM IST
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