Kimi Antonelli also wins in Japan, takes the world championship lead and impresses with maturity, speed and growing self-confidence
With his second victory in a row at the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix, Kimi Antonelli has finally taken the next step in his young career – and made history at the same time. The Mercedes driver is now the youngest ever world championship leader, underlining why many already see him as a future Formula 1 superstar.
“It feels pretty good,” says Antonelli after the race with a smile, but remains grounded. “Of course, it’s still early to be thinking about the championship, but we’re on the right track.”
Between luck and class: Antonelli seizes his chance
This time, the safety car played a decisive role – but to reduce the success to that would be too short-sighted. “Of course I was lucky with the safety car,” Antonelli admits openly, “but I still had to deliver after the restart.”
If you look at the data, Antonelli was not only the fastest man in the field in the second stint, but also in a decisive phase shortly before the safety car, when he was able to overtake Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc after a weak start. “The pace was simply incredible,” explained Antonelli.
“Weight off the shoulders”: the mental breakthrough
A decisive factor for Antonelli’s current high seems to be of a mental nature. “The first victory has taken a lot of pressure off,” he explains. “I feel more relaxed and am more aware of my potential.”
Team boss Toto Wolff also confirms this impression. “This first win gives you self-confidence. You no longer have to prove anything to anyone,” says the Austrian. The resulting “ease” is a clear advantage – especially for such a young driver.
Wolff is impressed by the development of his protégé: “Two wins in the first three races? We wouldn’t have expected that,” he admits. At the same time, he emphasizes how important it is not to overtax Antonelli now: “We have to protect him – from too much hype and too high expectations.”
The fact that Formula 1 is now taking a short break is almost inconvenient for Antonelli. “It’s a shame because we have such good momentum right now,” he says.