Antonelli Takes the Lead in the World Championship ahead of his teammate George Russell, 4th in Suzuka, and becomes the youngest driver in history to lead a championship.
From “luck” after a very bad start
The Italian, who was already the youngest poleman in F1 history in China, expressed his joy behind the wheel of his high-performing Mercedes at the finish line by telling his team on the radio that “the pace was incredible.” “It’s too early to think about the Championship but we are on the right track,” said the Italian, calm and smiling in front of the press.
After a very bad start that dropped him from pole position to 6th place in the first turn, he admitted to having had some “luck” compared to Piastri, Leclerc, and Russell, as he had not yet stopped at the pit to change tires when, halfway through the race, the safety car came out on track for several laps due to the violent crash of British driver Oliver Bearman’s Haas, who escaped with a bruised knee but no fractures.
Russell and Piastri, on the other hand, had just stopped before the safety car. “It would have been really interesting to see what would have happened without this safety car,” noted Piastri, who placed a McLaren on the podium for the first time this year. He had not completed a single lap in the races at the Australian (Melbourne) and Chinese (Shanghai) GPs in March.
Leclerc found “the race amusing”
Behind the dominant Mercedes at the beginning of the season, the Ferraris of Leclerc and seven-time world champion British Lewis Hamilton are trying to keep up with the pace for three Grand Prix races. “We were unlucky with the safety car, so I was late (…) but the feeling is not bad,” commented Leclerc, saying he found “the race amusing” with a number of overtakings, facilitated by the new regulations on hybrid engines and aerodynamics. The reigning world champion Lando Norris (McLaren) is fifth, ahead of Hamilton and the first Frenchman Pierre Gasly (Alpine), seventh.
