But that’s about all that’s needed from me.I’ve been Joey Lynch and it’s been great to have your company once again, watching on as Kimi Antonelli won his second-straight race, became the youngest driver to ever lead the F1 Championship, and flirted with breaking Japan’s underage drinking laws.Stay tuned for Giles Richards’ full report from Japan.Due to the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi races, the F1 season will now go on a one-month break until it returns on the first weekend in May from Miami.Until then, thanks and success!Youngest.

Championship.Leader.Ever.#FIA #F1 #JapanseGP pic.twitter.

com/2nOlsxffNSOh lord.The legal drinking age in Japan is 20.19-year-old Antonelli legally can’t be given a bottle of champagne to celebrate his win.He’s got an unlabelled bottle while Piastri and Leclerc have branded ones.Bless.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand it’s all rendered moot when Piastri and Leclerc immediatly spray him with their bottles.For the second-straight race, the Italian national anthem rings out over the podium.After waiting two decades to see one of their countrymen salute, those of an Italian persuasion have now heard their anthem played twice in a fortnight.Leclerc on the broadcast, also wondering what may have been without the safety car.double quotation markWith the Safety Car we got unlucky [with the timing], so I was on the back foot, and I just had to bring the tyres to the end.

But the feeling was not that bad.It was a fun race, just not enough to get Oscar.Piastri’s thoughts on the coverage:double quotation markWould have been really interesting to see what would have happened without [the Safety Car].A shame to not see what would have happened.But a massive thanks to the team, we did a good job executing with what we have.

Antonelli speaking with Damon Hill on the broadcast:double quotation markIt feels pretty good! It’s still early to think about the championship but we are in a good way,A terrible start, I need to check what happened but the safety car helped,A good second stint, I felt good with the car,I have a few weeks, so I can practice some clutch drops as it has been a weakness this year,We were lucky with the safety car, but on the hard, the pace was incredible.

Definitely made my life a lot easier!Kimi ⚡️ Antonelli #F1 #JapaneseGP pic.twitter.com/lpKpNru8Z91 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes2 Oscar Piastri McLaren3 Charles Leclerc Ferrari4 George Russell Mercedes5 Lando Norris (C) McLaren6 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari7 Pierre Gasly Alpine8 Max Verstappen Red Bull9 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls10 Esteban Ocon Haas11 Nico Hulkenberg Audi12 Isack Hadjar Red Bull13 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi14 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls15 Carlos Sainz Williams16 Franco Colapinto Alpine17 Sergio Perez Cadillac18 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin19 Valtteri Bottas Cadillac20 Alex Albon WilliamsDNF Lance Stroll Aston MartinDNF Oliver BearmanHaasTHE TOP 10 AT SUZUKA! 👀#F1 #JapaneseGP pic.twitter.com/kIElAQQIj9After going back-to-back, Antonelli has almost vaulted to the top of the drivers’ standings, making him the youngest driver to ever lead the F1 World Championship.

YOUNGEST CHAMPIONSHIP LEADER IN F1 HISTORY!✨ Kimi Antonelli ✨#F1 #JapaneseGP pic.twitter.com/6jTtxZMaioThe turning point of the race, ultimately, proved to be the safety car that followed Bearman’s crash – Russell having come in a lap prior and thus falling behind Antonelli (Piastri was also making up a bit of time at that moment), who was able to grab a cheap pit when it emerged.Piastri on the radio: “Turns out when we start these things, we’re pretty good.”Very good, Oscar.

Very good,The first podium of ‘26 for OP81 and the MCL40 🏆Great work, Osc 🧡#McLarenF1 | #JapaneseGP 🇯🇵 pic,twitter,com/kwQogG5673Lap 53/53: As Jack Black waves the chequered flag, Antonelli goes back-to-back in Japan! He had a horrible start but the fortunate timing of the safety car handed him a lifeline and he’s taken full advantage!KIMI ANTONELLI WINS THE JAPANESE GRAND PRIX!!! 🏁🏆🥳#F1 #JapaneseGP pic,twitter.

com/yZ7Ozd2k1ePiastri rolls through in P2, with Leclerc holding off Russell and keeping the Mercedes off the podium.Norris comes through in P5, followed by Hamilton, and despite a massive late push, Verstappen comes in behind Gasly.Oscar Piastri crosses the line in second place 🥈 Charles Leclerc hangs on to take third 🥉#F1 #JapaneseGP pic.twitter.com/SiVoDPlSKiLawson comes through in ninth, with Ocon rounding out the top ten.

Lap 52/53: Norris goes down the inside of Hamilton and, this time, is able to hold onto P5 heading into turn one! The defending champion perhaps using the lessons of the prior lap to better execute his overtake on this occasion,Antonelli leads, followed by Piastri and Leclerc in the race of the podium,Lap 51/53: Russell darts past Leclerc and Norris gets past Hamilton!But the Ferraris respond immediately, with both using seizing their place back coming down into turn one,LAP 51/53The battle for third is going down to the wire! ⚔️Russell seizes the final podium place only for Leclerc to immediately snatch it back 😮#F1 #JapaneseGP pic,twitter.

com/EodknZY2MaLap 50/53: As we hit the half-century of laps, Antonelli is well out in front and set to take out this GP short of disaster.Piastri looks set for a P2 in his first completed race of the campaign, with Leclerc and Russell fighting for the last spot on the podium.Hamilton continues to hold off Norris for P5, as does Gasly with Verstappen for P7.Lawson and Ocon round out the top ten.Lap 49/53: Remarkably, if you’ve been following the team’s travails this season, the Aston Martin of Alonso is still out on the track.

He’s not last, either: sitting in P18 in front of Bottas and Albon – the latter of whom just pitted for the fourth time in what is now a glorified testing session.Lap 48/53: No further investigation of Hamilton for his lock-up and subsequent corner.Norris attacks his Ferrari as that news flashes up and takes P5, only for the veteran Brit to react quickly and snatch the position back almost immediately.Lap 47/53: Hamilton has fallen away and is now more than two seconds back of Leclerc and Russell’s battle for the former’s P3 slot.Bearman is shown picture-in-picture on the screen limping a bit but otherwise looking well.

That’s a relief.Lap 46/53: Antonelli continues to lead from Piastri and Leclerc.Russell is less than half a second back of the Ferrari for P3, with Hamilton and Norris battling for P5.Gasly and Verstappen are fighting for P7, while Lawson and Ocon round out the top ten.Lap 45/53: With Norris on his tail, Hamilton has a lock-up and leaves the track.

Norris gets on the radio, saying that the Ferrari needs to give up the position after cutting the apex.The stewards will have a looksie.Lap 44/53: Verstappen is on the radio talking about how quick the Alpine of Gasly is, with the Red Bull driver attempting to vault over him into P7.Imagine saying that last year.Lap 43/53: Antonelli has just set a new quickest lap of the race – going also a second quicker than Piastri behind him did.

The gap is now more than 11 seconds.The only thing that could stop the 19-year-old from going back-to-back, at this point, you’d think, is himself.Lap 42/53: Russell now moves up to put the pressure on Hamilton and blasts past him on the home straight.The Brit’s Ferrari had been losing time on the straights, meaning it was probably only a matter of time once the Mercedes had him in its sights.Here's the moment Russell got past Hamilton 👀#F1 #JapaneseGP pic.

twitter,com/5hz2N3J1N5Lap 41/53: Leclerc again tries to dart down the outside of Hamilton but, again, the Brit slams the door shut!But then Leclerc gets ahead coming down into turn one! They almost took each other out in the process but the Monégasque driver has P3!Lap 40/53: Antonelli is streaking away into the clear air in front of him, now nearly ten seconds clear of second-placed Piastri,Hamilton sees Leclerc looking to overtake and slams the door shut,Then he does so again,The Ferraris are racing; YLTSI.

Lap 39/53: Antonelli leads from Piastri and Hamilton.Hamilton, though, doesn’t have the speed of teammate Leclerc, so it looks like the Ferraris are, again, are going to racing at some point.Russell sits in P5, followed by Norris, Gasly, Verstappen, Lawson, and Ocon.Lap 38/53: Ok, looks like just a blip from Russell as he’s now looking unencumbered once more – only now he’s got both Ferraris in front of him.Maybe a battery issue? Ran out of juice for a moment?Lap 37/53: Russell has a problem?!?! He loses power and is straight-up overtaken by Leclerc.

Lap 36/53: Russell continues to duck and dive but, ultimately, remains frustrated in his efforts to overtake Hamilton.In the other Mercedes, the clear air in front of Antonelli is being greedily taken advantage of: the 19-year-old the fastest man on the track and now nearly six seconds clear of second-placed Piastri.Lap 35/53: The McLaren pit wall has briefly lost power.That’s something you don’t get every race day.Antonelli leads from Piastri and Hamilton, with Russell, and Leclerc rounding out the top five.

Next is Norris, followed by Gasly, Verstappen, Lawson, and Ocon,Lap 34/53: A gap of a second has opened up between Piastri in P2 and Hamilton in P3 – both bolstering the Australian’s hold on a podium and making Russell’s task of chasing down his teammate even more difficult with every lap he’s held off by Hamilton,Lap 33/53: Russell, left highly frustrated by the timing of the safety car and then being vaulted by Hamilton following the re-start, is doing his best to try and overtake the Ferrari but, for now, is being held at bay by the veteran,Lap 32/53: Good news, as confirmation filters through that Bearman has been cleared of any fractures after his hard hit into the wall,