By winning a second consecutive Grand Prix from pole position, Kimi Antonelli takes the lead in the title race after benefiting from a little help from the Safety Car.
Read more Oscar Piastri finally opens his account: a second place with the taste of victory
Kimi Antonelli confirms his status as the new benchmark in Formula 1 by securing a second consecutive victory at the Japanese Grand Prix, at the end of a race perfectly turned around after a missed start.
Starting on pole for the second time in a row, the Mercedes driver completely missed his start, dropping to sixth position in the first few meters. A scenario that could have compromised his race, but the Italian reacted quickly by beginning a methodical comeback.
Clear domination after the restart
Back in the game, Antonelli then benefited from a key element: perfect timing during his stop, carried out under the safety car. This strategic choice allowed him to retake the lead, which he did not relinquish until the finish.
Once in the lead, Antonelli impressed with his pace, quickly widening the gap to his pursuers. Untouchable in the second half of the race, he won with authority ahead of Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc.
This success allows him to take the lead of the world championship, becoming the youngest driver in history to hold this position: “It’s very good. It’s very early to think about the title, but we are in a good dynamic,” he confides with lucidity.
An identified weak point: starts
Despite the victory, Antonelli remains critical of his performance, pointing to a completely missed start as the main area for improvement.
Read more Audi impresses: Gabriel Bortoleto in the top 10, Nico Hülkenberg in the middle of the grid
“I had a very bad start, I need to understand what happened. It’s one of my weak points at the moment and I need to improve, because you can easily win or lose a race on that,” he admits.
Aware of the importance of this factor, he plans to work specifically on this aspect in the coming weeks.
An assumed share of success
While the safety car played in his favor, Antonelli emphasizes that his pure pace was largely enough to challenge for the win: “We were very lucky with the Safety Car, but I was very fast on medium tires in clean air, and the pace was incredible on hard tires,” he explains.
This ability to perform on different compounds confirms Mercedes’ overall strength this weekend. Winning at Suzuka remains a special achievement for any driver, as the circuit is so demanding and iconic.
Antonelli did not hide his emotion after the race: “I am happy to win on such a special circuit in front of these incredible fans. It’s a very good experience and I look forward to coming back next year. Arigato! “