F1 Japanese Grand Prix 2026 Recap: Kimi Antonelli makes it back-to-back wins

Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli converted his pole position into a race win at the 2026 F1 Japanese Grand Prix, though the young Italian driver had to do it the hard way after losing his top spot at the start. He fought back and eventually won comfortably, picking up his second win of the season as well as the second of his career.

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri secured his first podium finish of the year, also completing his first race of the season with a stellar drive. Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, held off George Russell to give Ferrari another podium finish.

The win sees Antonelli overtake his teammate, George Russell, to take the lead in the Drivers’ Standings, thus also becoming the youngest-ever driver to lead the standings at just 19 years of age.

As the lights went out, Piastri and Leclerc made the better starts. Piastri was instantly on the pace and led the race after the first corner, going around Antonelli, while Leclerc slotted into P2. Lando Norris also got a strong start, passing both Russell and Antonelli to move up to third position.

Antonelli regained a place on Lap 2 as he breezed past Lewis Hamilton on the main straight. Russell then showcased Mercedes’ pace, passing Norris and then Leclerc by Lap 4. He continued his charge and took the lead from Piastri on Lap 8 at the final corner, though Piastri quickly reclaimed it on the main straight.

After pressuring Leclerc for a couple of laps, Antonelli finally passed the Ferrari driver for third on Lap 15 at the final corner. However, it proved to be a strategic move from Leclerc, who used saved battery power to retake the position on the main straight.

Norris was the first to pit on Lap 17, switching to the hard compound and rejoining in P9. Pit stops soon followed, with Ferrari bringing in Leclerc on Lap 18. A swift stop allowed him to rejoin ahead of Norris, covering a potential undercut.

The race leader pitted on Lap 19 and rejoined in sixth, while Russell inherited the lead. Meanwhile, Antonelli was flying around Suzuka and clearly had the fastest car on track. Piastri passed Max Verstappen for P5 on Lap 21, while Norris battled closely with Leclerc.

Russell pitted on Lap 22, handing the race lead to Antonelli. He rejoined in fifth, just behind Piastri. Shortly after, the race saw its first Safety Car when Oliver Bearman crashed his Haas at Spoon. This allowed drivers who had not yet stopped (Antonelli, Hamilton, Pierre Gasly, and Verstappen) to pit under caution.

The Safety Car ended on Lap 27, with Antonelli controlling the restart. Hamilton made the biggest gain, overtaking Russell around the outside to move into P3 at Turn 1.

On Lap 31, Lance Stroll retired due to a reported issue. Russell’s difficult race worsened on Lap 37 when he briefly lost power, allowing Leclerc to pass him for P4.

Leclerc then overtook his teammate Hamilton on Lap 42 with a bold move around the outside at Turn 1 to move into the podium places. The Ferrari pair came close, but managed to avoid contact.

Hamilton, who had been struggling, soon lost fourth place to Russell on the main straight as the Mercedes driver proved quicker.

While the battle behind intensified, Antonelli was in a league of his own, leading by nearly 13 seconds over Piastri by Lap 46.

Hamilton and Norris engaged in a tight fight, with Norris briefly passing at 130R before Hamilton reclaimed the position on the main straight. However, Norris finally made the move stick on the penultimate lap.

Leclerc briefly lost P3 to Russell on Lap 51 but immediately retook it on the main straight heading into Turn 1.

Antonelli ultimately won the race comfortably, finishing 14 seconds clear of Piastri, while Leclerc held off a charging Russell to secure third. Russell finished fourth ahead of Norris, with Hamilton, Gasly, Verstappen, Liam Lawson, and Esteban Ocon rounding out the points.

Antonelli’s victory, combined with Russell’s P4 finish, keeps Mercedes on top of the Constructors’ Championship table, with Ferrari in second, 45 points behind. Piastri’s podium, along with Norris’ points, helps McLaren strengthen their position in third place.

The grid now heads into a month-long break following the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix. Racing will resume with the Miami Grand Prix on May 3.