The Japanese Grand Prix concluded with Kimi Antonelli becoming only the third driver this century to convert his maiden victory into back-to-back wins, joining the exclusive company of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. This victory means he is also the current World Drivers’ Championship leader, making him the youngest to achieve this at 19 years and 216 days. Oscar Piastri secured second place, capping off a superb weekend for him and marking a much-needed comeback after failing to start the initial two races. Charles Leclerc came in third after another rollercoaster race, battling yet again with his teammate. Due to numerous incidents during the race attributed to the new regulations, debates and discussions about car safety will persist throughout the upcoming month, during which there will be no racing.
Mercedes dominantly started the weekend on Friday, securing the top two spots in FP1 and second and third in FP2. However, the main talking point during practice was the improvement shown by McLaren, who were clearly the second-fastest team on the day, dethroning Ferrari. The Prancing Horse showed some improved pace over McLaren during FP3, but failed to convert it into qualifying.
Mercedes continued their domination during qualifying with Kimi Antonelli securing back-to-back pole positions. George Russell once again experienced some problems with his car during the early stages and ultimately had to settle for P2 on the grid. McLaren locked out the second row, while Ferrari locked out the third. It was an impressive qualifying session for Audi, who managed to get P9 and P12 with Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hülkenberg, respectively. It was another session to forget for the four-time world champion Max Verstappen, as he was knocked out of Q2 by rookie Arvid Lindblad, who himself secured an impressive P10. Pierre Gasly showed consistency by taking P7 for Alpine, while Oliver Bearman, who had a great start to the season, was only able to secure P17 after a disappointing Q1 exit.
For the first time this season, all 22 cars started the race, which was delayed by 10 minutes due to barrier repairs. It was a nightmare start for Mercedes, specifically for polesitter Kimi, who dropped to P6, while George Russell also fell to P4. Both McLaren and Ferrari had great starts, with Oscar Piastri benefiting to take the lead, followed closely by Charles Leclerc. Lando Norris tucked into third, while Lewis Hamilton climbed a place to go to fifth. However, Mercedes quickly showed their true strength, clawing their way back into P2 and P4 within a few laps.
Lap 22 saw a major turning point in the race when Oliver Bearman went into the barriers in a frightening crash, which brought out the safety car. Oscar Piastri, Charles Leclerc, George Russell, and Lando Norris had already pitted before the safety car was deployed. This provided a massive stroke of luck for Kimi Antonelli, who capitalised on the safety car window to pit and emerged in the lead. Lewis Hamilton was also able to pit during the caution period, coming out in P4 just behind George Russell. Hamilton managed to overtake Russell during the restart, meaning that by Lap 27, Kimi, Oscar, and Lewis made up the top three, with Russell, Leclerc, and Norris following in fourth, fifth, and sixth, respectively.
From then on, Kimi managed to build a healthy gap to Oscar, who, in turn, built a gap to Lewis. The battle was on for third place, and Leclerc made early moves, following in his teammate’s footsteps to overtake Russell. This sparked a tight battle for third between the Ferrari teammates, with Leclerc eventually coming out on top. Lewis seemed to be struggling with his car, as he was subsequently overtaken by Russell and eventually by Norris during the final laps. Hamilton had to settle for P6, while Lando Norris secured P5. George Russell continued to battle for the final podium place, managing to overtake Leclerc with two laps to go, but Leclerc pulled off a brilliant move into Turn 1 on the very next lap to reclaim and hold on to third. George Russell had to settle for fourth place, a disappointing result given his record so far this season.
Pierre Gasly finished P7, continuing his good form and securing valuable points for Alpine. Max Verstappen was only able to recover to P8 after his disappointing Q2 exit. He continued to voice his frustrations with the new regulations, sentiments echoed by many other drivers who raised serious concerns about driver safety following Oliver Bearman’s crash. Liam Lawson benefited from the safety car, climbing from P14 on the grid to finish P9. Esteban Ocon rounded out the points positions, finishing P10. Unfortunately for Gabriel Bortoleto, a poor start meant he couldn’t convert his P9 on the grid into points. Both Isack Hadjar and Arvid Lindblad, who started in the top 10, were unlucky with the safety car timing and ultimately finished outside the points. On a brighter note for Aston Martin in what has been a nightmare season, Fernando Alonso managed to finish a race for the first time this year, though his teammate had to retire once again.
As the paddock packs up and leaves Suzuka, the Formula 1 world faces an unexpected and sombre pause. With the complete cancellation of next month’s calendar due to the ongoing war in the Middle East, the sport now enters an unprecedented hiatus. While teams will undoubtedly use this extended break at their factories to refine their 2026 challengers, the FIA will have to address the growing concern regarding the new regulations. The next race will be in Miami, which will feature the second sprint weekend of the season. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli has some happy memories in Miami, securing the sprint pole last year. Will he manage to continue his run and extend his lead in the standings, or will George Russell spoil the Italian party?
