Kimi Antonelli took advantage of a well-timed Safety Car to win his second successive Grand Prix at Suzuka.

The Italian had earlier dropped to 6^th at the start following a poor getaway, but Ollie Bearman’s crash on lap 21 after his rivals had pitted opened the door for the teenager, and he didn’t look back.

At 19 years and 216 days he is now the youngest man to ever lead a Formula One World Drivers’ Championship, leading Mercedes teammate George Russell by 9 points after three events.

Oscar Piastri was an excellent second for McLaren after his first race start of the season saw him rise to first, and the Australian might feel that he could have won the race had he not pitted before that Safety Car.

Charles Leclerc was brilliant in third place having had to fight from fifth, while Russell was a frustrated fourth having been second at one stage as he once again was left to bemoan his luck in 2026.

Lando Norris was fifth as McLaren put together their most positive weekend of the season ahead of an underpowered Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari, while Pierre Gasly held off Max Verstappen’s Red Bull for seventh.

The top ten was completed by Liam Lawson’s RB, while Esteban Ocon scored his first point of the season with tenth place for Haas.

Antonelli lost those five places from pole position at the start due to wheelspin as Piastri leapt into the lead form fourth, with Leclerc up to second and Norris third and Russell fourth..

Antonelli repassed Hamilton on the start straight into Turn One on Lap 2, while Russell was back past Norris the following lap, and Charles Leclerc was deposed from second on lap number 4 as the Mercedes drivers launched their comeback. At this stage, Russell was looking the stronger.

The King’s Lynn native would briefly lead on lap 8 as he launched a move into the final chicane, but Piastri was having none of it and would immediately repass the Brit on the following start straight in the pass/repass racing that has become a factor in 2026.

Antonelli would take ten laps to pass Norris with a late braking manoeuvre into the final chicane for fourth. He passed and was repassed by Leclerc at the end of lap 15 before Leclerc pitted at the end of Lap 17 to free the Italian.

Piastri would stop for the one and only time on lap 18 having pulled a gap of two seconds over Russell, with Russell pitting on lap 21.

The race was turned on its head after a crash for Ollie Bearman in the Haas on lap 22 at Spoon brought out the Safety Car. Bearman was able to limp away from his wrecked Haas. Bearman was caught out by huge closing speed between himself and Franco Colapinto, taking to the grass to avoid hitting the Alpine – the 20-year-old suffering a contusion to his right leg.

Antonelli had not stopped, and emerged from the pits in the lead ahead of Piastri and Russell, while Hamilton jumped to fourth in front of Leclerc and Norris.

The race settled down at the front as Ocon, pointless prior to the start of race, got back into the points after the Safety Car period dropped him to 11^th with a well executed move past Gabriel Bortoleto’s Audi.

Russell inexplicably lost power on lap 37 to lose out to Leclerc into Spoon and drop to fifth as his race went from bad to worse.

Ferrari waited to put on their show this week, as Leclerc attacked on lap 41 to be held back by Hamilton before a move that start at the chicane resulted in the Monegasque sweeping around the outside into Turn One with a beautiful move for third.

That would cost Hamilton a lap later, as he ran out of battery the net lap to lose out to Russell well before Turn One entry on lap 43.

The battle for the podium hotted up in the last three laps, as Russell passed Leclerc into the final chicane and looked to have made it stick, before an excellent repass around the outside of Turn One to leave Russell running wide, while Norris eventually made a move for fifth stick on Hamilton a lap later.

Further back it was a disappointing race for Audi as top ten start for Bortoleto was wasted by a poor start – the Brazilian was briefly back in the points courtesy of a cheap Safety Car pitstop, before losing out once more, with Nico Hulkenberg 13th. Arvid Lindblad struggled all race with tyres as a top ten start yielded only 14th, while Aston Martin were able to finish a race with Fernando Alonso in 19th.

Image: Pirelli F1 media