Kimi Antonelli Makes History at Japanese Grand Prix

0:00It's March 31st, F1 News Today starts now, AI powered and game ready. I'm Cory with the story. Kimi Antonelli just made history at the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix, snagging the win and becoming the youngest championship leader ever in. Formula One. The 18-year-old Italian took the checkered flag at Suzuka, putting him top of the standings after a flawless recovery drive. Coming off his first ever F1 victory in China, where he became the second youngest winner, he grabbed pole in Japan. But we'll spin off the line, dropped him to 6th, so he had to hustle past Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris to fight back up front. Then, on lap 22, Oliver Bearman's crash brought out the safety car and Antonelli nailed a pitstop to leap into the lead. He held it steady from there, showing serious pace all race long. F1 TV punded Alex Brundle, called it a tremendous performance, saying Antonelli earned it even with the safety car help. He pointed out Mercedes shines in clean air, but struggles in traffic, and praised the

1:02team for nurturing this young talent with total wolf's full backing. Antonelli's rise proves Mercedes's long-term bet is paying off big, setting the stage for what could be a dominant season ahead.