KIMI Antonelli continues to rewrite the record books, and this time, he did it at Suzuka.
At 19 years and 216 days, the Mercedes rookie became the youngest driver ever to lead the Formula 1 World Championship.
Antonelli took over the standings with 72 points, nine clear of teammate George Russell who has 63, after a commanding win in the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday.
READ: Kimi Antonelli grabs second straight pole in Japanese GP
The result, however, was anything but straightforward.
Antonelli had to recover from yet another sluggish getaway, continuing Mercedes’ trend of difficult starts, as he dropped five places off the line from pole and fell as low as sixth in the opening laps.
Up front, Oscar Piastri made the most of it, sweeping past Antonelli at Turn 1 from pole and controlling the early pace in what looked like a race firmly in his hands.
The turning point, however, came on Lap 22 when Oliver Bearman crashed heavily at Spoon Curve, bringing out the Safety Car and opening a crucial pit window.
Antonelli and Mercedes reacted instantly as that decisive stop flipped the race.
When the order cycled through, Antonelli found himself back in full control, a position he would never relinquish.
On the restart, the Italian wasted no time asserting dominance, showcasing superior race pace as he steadily pulled away from the field.
Piastri, who had done little wrong in the opening stint, was left to settle for second at 13.7 seconds behind, while Charles Leclerc completed the podium 15.2 seconds off the lead after fending off Russell.
Drama in Suzuka
Russell finished a close fourth for Mercedes, with Lando Norris taking fifth for McLaren and Lewis Hamilton placing sixth for Ferrari.
Pierre Gasly secured seventh for Alpine, just ahead of Max Verstappen in eighth for Red Bull from a P11 start, while Liam Lawson and Esteban Ocon rounded out the points in ninth and 10th, respectively.
Just outside the top 10, Nico Hulkenberg led the rest in 11th, followed by Isack Hadjar, Gabriel Bortoleto, Arvid Lindblad, and Carlos Sainz.
Franco Colapinto and Sergio Perez trailed behind, while Fernando Alonso and Valtteri Bottas were lapped, and Alex Albon finished two laps down. Lance Stroll and Bearman were the only retirees, with the latter’s crash ultimately shaping the race outcome.
The season now hits an unexpected pause, with the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix originally scheduled for April called off, resulting in a month-long break in the season.
Action resumes on May 1 with the Miami Grand Prix, where Antonelli will return as a first-time championship leader.
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