Aurélie Sacchelli, Media365: published on Sunday, March 29, 2026 at 08:43
Despite a poor start from pole position, Kimi Antonelli won the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday ahead of Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc. The first Frenchman, Pierre Gasly, finished in a respectable seventh place.
This was Kimi Antonelli’s second Grand Prix victory at just 19 years old! After winning the Chinese Grand Prix two weeks ago, the young Mercedes driver did it again this Sunday in Japan! Despite starting in pole position, it was not an easy race for him. The Italian completely messed up his start, slipping to sixth place during the first lap. He had 52 laps to make a comeback, and with a stroke of luck, he did it. Antonelli managed to overtake Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris, and Charles Leclerc, who then passed him back.
The race took a turn when a safety car appeared. Antonelli was in fourth place behind Piastri, Russell, and Leclerc. They all pitted between the 17th and 22nd laps to switch from medium to hard tires. In the 22nd lap, Oliver Bearman crashed his Haas at 308km/h after battling with Franco Colapinto. The safety car was deployed for five laps, allowing drivers like Antonelli, Hamilton, and Gasly to pit. Antonelli maintained his lead after the restart, holding onto first place for the remaining 26 laps without making any mistakes.
With Antonelli on the podium were Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc, marking the first time this season that three different teams finished in the Top 3. Oscar Piastri initially held second place after the safety car period but couldn’t challenge Antonelli. For Leclerc, it was a tough battle as he moved up the ranks. The Monégasque driver fought hard, eventually securing third place.
Additionally, George Russell, Lando Norris, Lewis Hamilton, Pierre Gasly, Max Verstappen, Liam Lawson, and Esteban Ocon completed the Top 10. This race saw two French drivers in the points, with only one retirement from Lance Stroll. The cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia GPs means teams and drivers now have a month to prepare before the next race in Miami on May 3rd.
