F1 2026 Japanese Grand Prix results: Antonelli becomes youngest-ever points leader with victory at Suzuka

Kimi Antonelli continued his sensational start to the 2026 F1 season with a commanding victory at Suzuka, converting pole into a dominant win to seize the championship lead.

It wasn’t a straightforward lights to flag victory for the 19-year-old, though. The Mercedes protégé had to recover from a poor start with the help of a well-timed Safety Car, but eventually finished over 13 seconds clear of Oscar Piastri.

Behind him, Charles Leclerc completed the podium after a late-race duel with George Russell, while Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton were locked in a fierce battle for fifth in the closing laps.

Further back, Ollie Bearman’s race ended in the barriers, while Arvid Lindblad endured a frustrating afternoon despite showing strong qualifying pace.

Full summary of the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix results

• Winner: Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
• Second place: Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
• Third place: Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
• George Russell: Fourth after late-race battle with Leclerc
• Lando Norris: Fifth after duel with Hamilton
• Lewis Hamilton: Sixth after losing out late on

2026 Japanese Grand Prix results

Antonelli dominates to top points table 

Kimi Antonelli made it back-to-back victories after a composed recovery drive at Suzuka, and with it, became the youngest ever driver to lead the Formula 1 World Championship. 

Starting from pole for the second consecutive race, Antonelli initially slipped backwards to sixth with wheelspin off the line. 
He quickly recovered, however, passing Lewis Hamilton early on and then dispatching Lando Norris at the chicane on Lap 11.

A mid-race Safety Car proved decisive for the young Italian. With most of the front-runners already having pitted, Antonelli had briefly assumed the lead and managed to rejoin with fresh Hard tyres, before seamlessly controlling the restart.

From there, he was untouchable. Stretching his advantage over Oscar Piastri, Antonelli cruised to victory by over 13 seconds, taking his second victory in succession and seize the points lead from team-mate George Russell.

Russell misses out on podium

George Russell lined up alongside Antonelli on the front row, and just like his team-mate, he spun up his wheels at the start, getting shuffled back to fourth by Turn 1. He quickly fought back though, passing Norris and Leclerc in successive laps to reclaim second.

Then, on Lap 8, he briefly took the lead from Piastri, only for the McLaren driver to respond immediately at Turn 1.

After inheriting the lead during the pit cycle, Russell stopped on Lap 22 and rejoined in traffic. The Safety Car restart proved costly for him, as he slipped down the order before recovering in the closing stages.

A late charge saw him pass Hamilton and challenge Leclerc, but despite briefly taking third from the Ferrari driver, he ultimately crossed the line fourth.

Hamilton and Leclerc in fierce Ferrari fight

Starting sixth, Lewis Hamilton made early progress to run fifth before benefitting from the Safety Car, pitting for fresh tyres and rejoining in fourth.

At the restart, Hamilton surged into third, but then battled with team-mate Charles Leclerc. Just like in Shanghai, the pair traded positions multiple times, including a bold move from Leclerc around the outside of Turn 1.

As the race entered its final phase, Hamilton also found himself under pressure from Norris. The two exchanged positions several times in the closing laps, with Hamilton eventually conceding to finish sixth.

Norris edges late duel for fifth

After qualifying fifth, Norris made a strong start to move into third around the outside at Turn 1 before coming under pressure from both Leclerc and Antonelli in the opening stint.

Following his pit stop, Norris dropped back before the Safety Car brought him back into play.

The closing laps produced a thrilling duel with Hamilton. The pair swapped positions multiple times, trading moves at the chicane and into Turn 1.

Eventually, Norris made the decisive move on the penultimate lap, securing fifth place after one of the race’s most memorable battles.

Bearman crashes out after tough weekend

Having qualified 18th, Ollie Bearman’s lowest grid spot of the season so far, the Haas driver made early progress in the race but struggled to break into the midfield.

A pit stop dropped him further down the order before his race came to an abrupt end on Lap 22, when he crashed heavily into the barriers at Spoon Curve.

Bearman emerged from the wreckage limping, but largely unscathed, with the non-score dropping him from fifth to seventh in the standings.

Lindblad unable to convert strong qualifying

After impressively knocking Max Verstappen out in Q2 to qualify tenth, Arvid Lindblad slipped back through the pack in the opening laps.

The Safety Car then compromised his strategy, dropping him further down the order at the restart. Despite running as high as ninth early on, Lindblad ultimately finished 14th after a difficult second half of the race.

2026 Japanese Grand Prix – key takeaways

• Kimi Antonelli wins at Suzuka to take the championship lead.
• Mercedes continues strong form with Russell finishing fourth.
• Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc complete podium.
• Lando Norris beats Hamilton in late-race duel for fifth.
• Ollie Bearman retires after crash at Spoon Curve.
• Arvid Lindblad unable to convert top-10 qualifying into points.

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