Kimi Antonelli could not have been more pleased with how the Formula 1 Japanese GP unfolded. This Sunday (29), he not only secured the second victory of his career but also took the lead in the 2026 season, becoming the youngest driver in history to lead the standings.
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The Italian started from pole position in Suzuka, but a poor start dropped him back a few positions. However, he took advantage of the safety car’s entry to make his pit stop, took the lead and never looked back, bringing the triumph home and becoming the first Italian to win two consecutive F1 races since Alberto Ascari in 1953.
“It’s great to achieve my second victory. I had a bad start from pole position and was lamenting that we lost so many positions. But when we had clear track and medium tires, I managed to improve my pace significantly. We were lucky with the timing of the Safety Car, which put us in the lead and made my life much easier. Who knows what would have happened without it, but I felt we had enough speed today to fight for the win,” he said.
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“This is the best way to head into this short break in the season. I’m going to enjoy the moment, but also use the time well to work on the areas where I can improve. As a team, and despite having won the first three races, we know we need to keep raising our level. We had a real battle today and we know it won’t be easy to maintain this streak of good results. We are looking forward to making good use of the time before Miami and, hopefully, putting ourselves in a strong position when the season restarts,” he added.
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