Formula 1 had a new protagonist at the 2026 Japanese GP, with Kimi Antonelli acknowledging that he relied on a bit of luck in his historic victory. Even so, the Mercedes driver showed dominant pace and left Suzuka as the championship leader.
Read more F1: Piastri laments safety car after losing victory in Japan
The young Italian won with authority, opening up 13,7 seconds over Oscar Piastri, but the race had decisive moments that completely changed the scenario. One of them was precisely the safety car, which ended up being determining for the final result.
Starting from pole position, Antonelli had a complicated start and dropped to sixth position at the first corner. The recovery began during the pit stop phase, when Oliver Bearman’s heavy crash triggered the safety car.
With this, the Mercedes driver was able to make his stop under ideal conditions and take the lead of the race. From then on, especially in the second stint on Hard tires, he was no longer threatened.
After the race, Antonelli himself admitted that the moment was crucial for his victory. “I got lucky with the safety car, but in the end it was amazing,” he said over the radio right after crossing the finish line.
Engineer Pete Bonnington also highlighted the performance, despite the external factor. “The pace was very good on the Hard tires, but we certainly escaped a tricky situation today,” he replied.
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Analyzing the race more calmly, the youngster reinforced that the start was the main negative point. “I had a terrible start and I need to understand what happened. After that, I was lucky with the safety car to take the lead,” he stated.
Even so, he highlighted the strength of the car throughout the race. “The pace after that was incredible. The second stint was very good, me felt comfortable with the car and that was fundamental for the result,” he added.
Antonelli also recognized that the result could have been different without the neutralization. “I don’t know what the outcome would have been without the safety car, but it certainly made my life a lot easier,” he said.
With the victory, the driver became the first teenager to lead the Formula 1 drivers’ championship, in addition to achieving consecutive triumphs in the category. Despite the positive moment, he knows there are still points to improve.
“I have a few weeks now to work better on the starts. This has been a weak point this year and can decide races, so I need to evolve,” he concluded.
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