After weeks of accidents, technical problems and “watching F1 from the sidelines”, Oscar Piastri has finally started and completed the 2026 race, finishing second at the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday.
Meanwhile, teenager Kimi Antonelli became the youngest driver in Formula 1 history to lead the world championship, winning the Suzuka race by more than 13 seconds after driving a big car, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc taking third place.
Piastri drove brilliantly to open an incredible lap, passing them from third on the grid to take the lead from Antonelli on pole and fellow Mercedes driver George Russell.
Russell grabbed the lead at the final chicane on lap eight however Piastri put his battery on the straight and retook the lead on lap 9. The Australian crashed early on lap 18 followed by Russell who lapped on lap 21. However, a fatal crash from Oliver Bearman on lap 22 led to a yellow flag and allowed renton’s flag safety tactics, hampering the car’s flag.
Bearman’s car hit the barriers and the young driver emerged limping from the debris. A medical examination showed no broken bones, however the Haas driver suffered 50G’s impact
The biggest loser from the safety car controversy was undoubtedly George Russell (who had pitted a lap earlier) and he immediately lost his advantage and lost important championship points to his teammate, Antonelli who went on to claim his second consecutive grand prix victory.
Despite chaos, crashes and a safety car, Piastri managed to hold on to second place, fending off a resurgent Ferrari and capturing the podium.
“Wow it happens when we start these things, we are good,” Piastri joked on the radio. “Well everyone, that was a great weekend…we deserve it thanks, let’s find some speed.”
Piastri spoke to the media after the race and said McLaren needed to work on finding more speed, but admitted he was pleased with Sunday’s result.
“It’s a shame that we never saw what would have happened (with the safety car) but for us at this point, giving up on finishing second is a good place to be,” he said.
A fan favourite, the Suzuka Circuit is famous for its fast technical corners and its unique layout, which usually encourages a one-stop strategy. The Japanese Grand Prix was nearing the end of the season and has decided the championship winner several times in history. On Sunday, it was the site of a different kind of history.
Antonelli is now the first teenager to win two Formula 1 Grand Prix races and the youngest driver to lead the world championship. However, the Italian said it was “too early” to think about the championship but admitted “we are in a good way”,
In the post-race interview Antonelli admitted that he was “very lucky” to have the safety car, but was pleased with the pace of the Mercedes.
There is now a gap of five weeks between now and the next race in Miami, while the races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were canceled due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
