What Happened In The 2026 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix?

Image: Formula 1 Kimi Antonelli's rapid rise in Formula 1 continued at Suzuka, where the Mercedes rookie claimed his second consecutive victory in the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix-and, in the process, took over the lead of the Drivers' Championship. The 19-year-old Italian didn't have the cleanest start to the race, but a combination of strategy, pace, and a timely Safety Car helped swing the result in his favor on one of the calendar's most popular circuits. Safety Car Turns the Race The pivotal moment came on lap 22, when Haas driver Oliver Bearman suffered a heavy crash at the high-speed Spoon Curve.

While battling with Alpine's Franco Colapinto, Bearman lost control on the grass after experiencing an extreme difference in speed due to Colapinto's car harvesting energy. Bearman's Haas hit the barriers at high speed, triggering a Safety Car. Fortunately, the British driver was able to exit the car under his own power, although with a heavy limp; he was later taken to the medical center for precautionary checks after the 50g impact with the barriers.

Up front, the timing of the incident proved crucial. Antonelli had yet to make his pit stop, while rivals Oscar Piastri and George Russell had already pitted. The neutralization allowed the Mercedes driver to stop with minimal time loss and rejoin in the lead-a position he would not relinquish.

Image: Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Antonelli Capitalizes Even without the Safety Car, Mercedes believed Antonelli had the pace to challenge for victory. Once in clean air, he had been lapping faster than the early stoppers and building a gap that could have kept him in contention. After the restart, Antonelli wasted no time asserting control, pulling clear of Piastri and managing the race from the front to secure back-to-back wins.