Japanese Grand Prix – The Race: Kimi Antonelli Wins and Becomes the Youngest Driver to Lead the Championship

Written by Axelle Vallière
Japanese Grand Prix – The Race: Kimi Antonelli Wins and Becomes the Youngest Driver to Lead the Championship
Credit: Overtake Agency

Despite a scare at the start, Kimi Antonelli controlled the race and capitalized on a safety car period to claim his second career Grand Prix victory. Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc rounded out the podium.

On the grid, Kimi Antonelli secured pole position, with his teammate George Russell alongside him. Although Russell had a tough time in qualifying, Mercedes' lead over its competitors allowed him to secure a spot on the front row. Behind them is Oscar Piastri in third, who is set to complete his first race laps of the season after suffering a crash during the formation lap in Australia and then an engine failure in China. Among the French drivers, Pierre Gasly and Isack Hadjar share the fourth row, while Esteban Ocon will start from 12th place. This is his best qualifying result of the season.

The Start

When the lights go out, the Mercedes cars falter. Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc surge forward, and the Australian takes the lead. Lando Norris also moves up with a superb pass on the outside, while Hamilton slots in between Antonelli and Russell.  At the first corner, the Mercedes are in 5th and 6th.

Further back in the pack, Max Verstappen attacks aggressively. He passes Esteban Ocon and his teammate, Isack Hadjar. 

By the fourth lap, Russell closes the gap and regains his original 2nd place with disconcerting ease. His more powerful battery makes all the difference. In a tight battle, Leclerc, Norris, Antonelli, and even Hamilton are fighting for the podium. 

A duel is shaping up between Norris and Antonelli. The Briton manages his battery masterfully and holds his ground despite his car's lack of pace compared to the Mercedes. Kimi Antonelli remains patient, as driving too aggressively would drain too much energy and his battery wouldn't hold up. 

Russell attempts to pass Piastri to retake the lead. He gets past just before the chicane but is overtaken again due to a lack of energy on the straight.

In the midfield, Arvid Linblad and Isack Hadjar are battling for 10th place. Esteban Ocon is making a strong move. Having started 12th, he is now in 9th place. Verstappen is in 8th.

At the end of Lap 16, Lando Norris pits and comes out on hard tires. Leclerc is then called into the garage to counter the McLaren driver's stop. It was worth a try for the world champion team, but the undercut didn't work out for Norris. Oscar Piastri pits, likely attempting the same strategy as his teammate, who is starting to rack up sector records. Russell eventually pits as well and comes out behind Piastri. The undercut worked this time. 

Bearman's crash

Yellow flag and safety car. Franco Colapinto, slowing down to conserve energy, opens up his line, which catches Ollie Bearman off guard; Bearman loses control while trying to avoid the Alpine and hits the wall. The driver has injured his ankle; he is seen walking with difficulty, assisted by the track marshals. According to information released by Haas, the impact of his crash was measured at 50G. He quickly underwent an X-ray at the medical center, which revealed no fractures. He is suffering from a severe contusion, from which he will have plenty of time to recover during the April break.

The safety car works in favor of the drivers who hadn't yet pitted. Notably Kimi and Antonelli, as this “free” pit stop allows him to retain the lead. 

The Safety Car pulls off just after the halfway point. At the restart, Antonelli chooses the chicane to accelerate. Oscar Piastri holds onto second place, while Russell is caught off guard by Hamilton, who reclaims third place.

Lance Stroll is forced to retire at the end of lap 30. 

Thrilling duels 

With fifteen laps to go, things heat up between the two Ferraris. The two men in red are battling for the podium. Charles Leclerc feels his teammate is costing him time, while behind them, the threat from Russell hasn't had its final say. After a wheel-to-wheel contact, Leclerc takes a chance on the outside and finally shakes off the Brit. This internecine battle cost Hamilton energy, and he was also overtaken by Russell.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">LAP 41 & 42/53<br><br>Brilliant battling between the Ferraris 💪 <br><br>And Leclerc gets through into the final podium spot<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F1?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F1</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JapaneseGP?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JapaneseGP</a> <a href="https://t.co/ii27lrWG1M">pic.twitter.com/ii27lrWG1M</a></p>— Formula 1 (@F1) <a href="https://twitter.com/F1/status/2038141956878966915?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

In a neck-and-neck battle with Norris, Hamilton locks up his wheels and cuts through the escape route. The reigning world champion demands to be let through, but to no avail. He finally manages to overtake his compatriot fairly a few minutes later. He pushes his battery too hard and gets passed again. 

Behind Norris, in sixth place, the action is calmer. Pierre Gasly drives a steady race and holds onto 7th place, even as Verstappen threatens. Esteban Ocon rounds out the top 10 behind Liam Lawson.

With two laps to go, George Russell overtakes Charles Leclerc in the final corner, but the Monegasque driver responds immediately. Thanks to his energy management, he catches up to the Mercedes driver and passes him on the outside in the first corner. This magnificent pass secures him a spot on the podium.

Oscar Piastri, flying under the radar, holds onto his strong second-place finish, his first result of the season. Kimi Antonelli wins the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix after a controlled race, despite a poor start. It is his second consecutive victory. By a few points, he becomes the youngest driver in history to take the championship lead.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">THE TOP 10 AT SUZUKA! 👀<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F1?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F1</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JapaneseGP?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JapaneseGP</a> <a href="https://t.co/kIElAQQIj9">pic.twitter.com/kIElAQQIj9</a></p>— Formula 1 (@F1) <a href="https://twitter.com/F1/status/2038146624631800270?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>