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Italian 19-year-old Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes has won his 2nd consecutive Formula 1 race, taking Sunday's (March 29, 2026) Japanese Grand Prix up of Oscar Piastri of McLaren.
Charles Leclerc of Ferrari was 3rd with George Russell of Mercedes successful fourth. McLaren's Lando Norris was 5th with sixth for Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari astatine the Suzuka circuit successful cardinal Japan connected a clear, sunny outpouring afternoon.
Antonelli won the archetypal F1 contention of his vocation 2 weeks agone successful China, the second-youngest victor successful history. The youngest was Max Verstappen successful 2016 astatine lone 18. The young Italian besides won from pole-position successful China, the youngest to ever assertion that spot.
Also Read | Antonelli takes archetypal F1 triumph with Mercedes one-two successful China
Russell was 2nd successful China 2 weeks agone and won the season-opening contention successful Australia, which means Mercedes has victories successful the archetypal 3 races of 2026 — and Antonelli has 2 of them.
Antonelli started from the rod with Russell alongside, but neither got a large commencement with Piastri beating some to the archetypal crook and holding the aboriginal lead.
Antonelli present leads the play standings with 72 points.
Formula 1 present takes a five-week interruption with races for April successful Bahrain and Saudi Arabia called disconnected due to the fact that of the warfare successful Iran. The adjacent contention is May 3 successful Miami.
Antonelli's and Mercedes again showed they are champion astatine mastering the caller car configuration for 2026, which features a 50-50 divided betwixt interior combustion powerfulness and electrical artillery power.
The cars are besides lighter, narrower and shorter than past play with galore drivers complaining astir the astir extremist changes successful a decade.
Piastri got a large start. Antonelli didn't and coiled up successful sixth aft the archetypal thigh but clawed his mode back. He had the pb connected the 22nd thigh erstwhile Hass operator Oliver Bearman mislaid power and deed a tyre barrier, triggering the information car.
He limped retired of the car but was reported aboriginal to beryllium successful bully signifier by aesculapian officials.
Hamilton went each past play without a podium driving for Ferrari, but managed 3rd spot successful China. He was adjacent to different podium successful Japan, showing the Ferrari is competitive, which it wasn't past season.
