Antonelli strikes again in Suzuka – a new era in the making The hype around Kimi Antonelli continues to grow—and after this weekend in Suzuka, it’s becoming clear that a special story is unfolding. Fresh from his maiden victory in China, the young Italian arrived in Japan full of confidence and delivered in style. Securing pole position on Saturday, Antonelli controlled the race on Sunday with remarkable composure and claimed a well-deserved Grand Prix victory. As a reward, he now becomes the youngest driver ever to lead the World Championship—an extraordinary milestone that underlines his immense talent. Behind him, Oscar Piastri finally had a breakthrough weekend. After a difficult start to the season, the Australian drove a flawless race to finish second, hopefully putting his early misfortune behind him. Third place went to Charles Leclerc, who delivered a strong and consistent performance for Ferrari. Just behind him, a disappointed George Russell had to settle for fourth, having expected more from the weekend. Reigning World Champion Lando Norris continued to struggle with the tricky McLaren and could only manage fifth place—well below his own expectations. Lewis Hamilton followed in sixth, also not entirely satisfied with his race. One of the standout performances in the midfield came from Pierre Gasly, who impressed for Alpine and even beat Max Verstappen in a direct on-track battle. Verstappen, unusually subdued, struggled to make an impact throughout the weekend. The remaining points positions were secured by Liam Lawson and Esteban Ocon, while Audi endured a disastrous outing, with both cars failing to start due to technical issues. After three intense races, Formula 1 now faces an unexpected break. The events in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have been cancelled, meaning the next race will take place in Miami from May 1–3.