Kimi Antonelli delivered another great performance to win the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, with strategy and a well-timed Safety Car proving crucial in the outcome of the race.

However, despite starting from pole position, the Mercedes driver made a poor getaway and dropped to P6, with Oscar Piastri taking the lead.

After lap 5, the order was as follows: Piastri, Russell, Leclerc, Norris, Antonelli, Hamilton, Gasly, Lindblad, Verstappen, Ocon.

The race soon became a contest shaped by pit stop timing. While some front-runners, including Piastri and Russell, opted to pit earlier, others – including Antonelli – delayed their stops and extended their stints in an effort to gain track position, and it soon paid off.

The decisive moment came on lap 22, when Oliver Bearman crashed at Spoon Corner, triggering a Safety Car. This allowed several drivers, including Antonelli, to pit without losing significant time, effectively reshuffling the order.

Antonelli used this opportunity perfectly. After rejoining, he retained the net lead and controlled the restart, keeping Piastri behind.

Shortly after the restart, Hamilton moved ahead of Russell into third place, with Leclerc also overtaking Russell soon after. However, in the following laps, Hamilton dropped back behind both Leclerc and Russell.

From there, the Antonelli gradually built a gap at the front. Behind him, Charles Leclerc and George Russell were locked in a close fight for the final podium place, with Leclerc ultimately holding position after several attacks from the Mercedes driver.

Further back, Lando Norris provided one of the highlights of the closing stages by overtaking Lewis Hamilton in the final chicane to secure fifth place.

Antonelli crossed the line to take victory ahead of Piastri and Leclerc, while Russell finished fourth. Norris, Hamilton, Gasly, Verstappen, Lawson and Esteban Ocon completed the top ten.

With this result, Antonelli now leads the drivers’ championship by nine points over Russell, underlining both his excellent form and Mercedes’ strong start to the 2026 season.

2026 Japanese Grand Prix results:

1st – Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
2nd – Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – +13.722
3rd – Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – +15.270
4th – George Russell (Mercedes) – +15.754
5th – Lando Norris (McLaren) – +23.479
6th – Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – +25.037
7th – Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – +32.340
8th – Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) – +32.677
9th – Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) – +50.180
10th – Esteban Ocon (Haas) – +51.216
11th – Nico Hulkenberg (Audi) – +52.280
12th – Isack Hadjar (Red Bull Racing) – +56.154
13th – Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) – +59.078
14th – Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) – +59.848
15th – Carlos Sainz (Williams) – +1:05.008
16th – Franco Colapinto (Alpine) – +1:05.773
17th – Sergio Perez (Cadillac) – +1:32.453
18th – Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – +1 lap
19th – Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac) – +1 lap
20th – Alexander Albon (Williams) – +2 laps

DNF – Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
DNF – Oliver Bearman (Haas)