Antonelli makes F1 history at Suzuka as youngest-ever championship leader at 19

Japan March 27-29

Kimi Antonelli’s breakthrough grand prix victory in China came too late for him to break Max Verstappen’s record as Formula 1’s youngest ever winner. But his second success on the trot, in the Japanese Grand Prix, did set a new landmark: at 19, Antonelli is the youngest in history to lead the world championship standings.

Just as with the Italian’s win at Shanghai, the Suzuka triumph came from pole position – and arguably owed something to fortune over the timing of a safety car. A terrible start for the Mercedes had converted that pole into an early sixth position. It took him just over 10 laps to rise to fourth, after passing Lewis Hamilton and then Lando Norris.

Mark Hughes’ Driver of the day

Oscar Piastri

The Aussie was superb in delivering second place. The McLaren is not as quick as the Mercedes but he was able to keep Russell behind him, even allowing him to pass into the chicane in the knowledge he’d be able to retaliate. Using his deployment strategically, he maintained a great pace and had even begun to pull away from Russell before the safety car came out and allowed Antonelli to leapfrog him. It was one thing to hold off a Merc, but another to hold onto one from behind. Second was an over-delivery.

Up front, Antonelli’s team-mate George Russell was battling with the McLaren of Oscar Piastri. It was the first GP start of 2026 for the Australian, who was holding the upper hand at the time the pitstop sequence among the leading runners was triggered when Charles Leclerc called in for new tyres for his third-placed Ferrari. Piastri and then Russell followed suit, before a big accident at Spoon Curve put the race under caution.

This was a direct consequence of F1’s 2026 regulations. Franco Colapinto’s Alpine was in energy-harvesting mode when Haas driver Ollie Bearman, using full energy, was caught out by the closing speed, speared onto the grass in avoidance of the Argentinian, and hit the barriers at 190mph. Antonelli got a ‘cheap’ pitstop under the safety car, but such was his pace afterwards that it is plausible that, even had the race stayed green throughout, he could have extended enough of an advantage before pitting to still emerge in front.

Piastri took second, while Leclerc got the better of Russell in a late fight for third. Norris (McLaren) was fifth from Hamilton (Ferrari), while the Alpine of Pierre Gasly beat Max Verstappen’s Red Bull to seventh.

1st Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:28:03.403

2nd Oscar Piastri McLaren +13.722sec

3rd Charles Leclerc Ferrari +15.270sec

MONTH IN NUMBERS

73
Years since an Italian last took back-to-back GP wins – Alberto Ascari in 1953/p>

2.00sec
Fastest pitstop of the month – by Ferrari for Lewis Hamilton in the Japanese GP

2
…out of two. Antonelli has set fastest lap each time he has raced at Suzuka

215.3
Fastest speed in mph recorded at Suzuka – by Verstappen’s Red Bull

26.2%
Percentage of points scored by Red Bull compared to this time last year