Italian teenager Kimi Antonelli took his second win of the 2026 season on the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday and now leads Mercedes team-mate George Russell by 9 factors within the drivers’ championship.
Russell was fourth at Suzuka, as McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who had failed to start out the opening two grands prix, completed second and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc claimed the ultimate podium place in third.
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Listed here are my driver scores for a way the drivers carried out throughout the entire weekend in Suzuka.
Kimi Antonelli – 8.5 – Antonelli had a sure buzz about him after his breakthrough win in China and was instantly on the tempo in Japan. Had the higher of Mercedes team-mate George Russell in qualifying however one other poor begin noticed him plummet down the order to sixth. Whereas the automotive had tempo, I do not suppose the win was there with out the luck of the protection automotive.
Oscar Piastri – 9 – When he does begin a race, he scores large! Instantly on the tempo and had a bonus baked in from Friday over McLaren team-mate Lando Norris with the world champion’s reliability points. However, an outstanding begin to get each Mercedes by Flip One after which management the tempo for the primary stint. An actual disgrace concerning the timing of the protection automotive however with out it, Piastri might have stolen a win on Sunday.
Charles Leclerc – 8 – On prime of his Ferrari team-mate Lewis Hamilton from the get-go even with a automotive that was to neither drivers’ liking. Flew in qualifying and regardless of downplaying his ultimate lap, he might have pipped Piastri for P2. One other blinder of a begin on lap one and nice wheel to wheel battling all through, with some fairly shut name motion with Hamilton. Fended off Russell proper to the flag.
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George Russell – 7 – Fast, as you’d anticipate, however ever since that small change to suspension in qualifying, Russell struggled for tempo. One other poor begin, not as dangerous as Antonelli’s however sufficient to trigger him bother. Dealt a foul card with the protection automotive however could not precisely carve his manner by means of the sector and could not discover a well past Leclerc for the ultimate podium place.
Lando Norris – 8 – Contemplating he might barely get a lap in a few of the periods, plagued with reliability points and right down to probably his final battery, I might say this was a offered restoration for Norris. There was clearly extra tempo available however given he hadn’t performed any working on excessive gas earlier than the race, Japan was a job effectively performed.
Lewis Hamilton – 6 – By no means checked out residence on board his Ferrari, slipping and sliding his manner by means of observe and by no means regarded to have Leclerc lined this weekend. Managed to get caught in with just a few battles and clearly wasn’t going to only get out of the best way of his team-mate, which delivered us some extra enjoyable wheel-to-wheel motion.
Pierre Gasly – 9 – My private star of the weekend, alongside Piastri. The Alpine is clearly nonetheless tough however Gasly is ready to use all his expertise to not solely be better of the remaining in qualifying however maintain his personal within the race too, regardless of Max Verstappen looming down his neck for almost all of the grand prix.
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Max Verstappen – 6 – One other weekend the place the automotive was not there for him. A reasonably sizeable improve to the Purple Bull appeared to make no distinction, adopted by additional feedback questioning his future.
Liam Lawson – 7 – Bit nameless actually from the Kiwi. An odd entrance wing problem prevented him from getting by means of into Q3 like his Racing Bulls team-mate Arvid Lindblad however Lawson by no means totally shone. A giant benefactor of the protection automotive to permit him an inexpensive pit cease and stand up into the factors and maintain Esteban Ocon at bay for P9.
Esteban Ocon – 7 – Welcome again to the factors, Esteban. A a lot better weekend from the Frenchman. Not excellent however proceeded by means of to Q2 and had the tempo over Haas team-mate Oliver Bearman, who has been placing Ocon within the shade thus far this yr.
Nico Hulkenberg – 6 – A mistake price him a Q3 effort and pitting too late to essentially profit from the protection automotive through the race ends in one other missed factors alternative for the Audi driver.
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Isack Hadjar – 6 – The excellent news is that Hadjar is just not affected by the curse of Purple Bull second seat. Sadly, it simply so occurs that the automotive is not performing to the extent it must be. Outqualified team-mate Verstappen however struggled within the race.
Gabriel Bortoleto – 6 – A second top-10 begin for the yr, undone by a tough lights-out. Recovered within the race however fell away in the direction of the tip.
Arvid Lindblad – 8 – Massively down on laps in observe, knocked Verstappen out in Q2 and an excellent begin to the grand prix. Saved Hadjar behind within the early phases however finally his race was ruined by the protection automotive.
Carlos Sainz – 6 – A contemporary trim for the weekend wasn’t fairly sufficient to see the Spaniard bother the factors for a second race in a row. But it surely felt like he bought probably the most out of the gear he has at Williams, with no heroics.
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Franco Colapinto – 4 – How rapidly issues can change after an immense race in China. Not at one with the Alpine automotive, and a scary second slowing closely into Spoon Curve inflicting Ollie Bearman’s 50G crash is a stark reminder of the protection measures applied in as we speak’s Components 1.
Sergio Perez – 7 – A rocky begin to the weekend, colliding with the Williams of Alex Albon and nonetheless complaining of varied, obscure deployment points. However outqualified Cadillac team-mate Valtteri Bottas and forward of each Aston Martins within the race.
Fernando Alonso – 7 – First time seeing the chequered flag this yr! I believe that is the one excessive Alonso and Aston Martin can take from this weekend. A a lot wanted few weeks now earlier than the Miami Grand Prix.
Valtteri Bottas – 6 – Regardless of having an improve on the automotive and seemingly making enhancements, Perez had the higher of him in Japan.
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Alex Albon – 5 – One other powerful weekend and a few cryptic radio messages in qualifying spotlight all is just not effectively inside the Williams camp. Sacrificed his race for a testing session.
Lance Stroll – 5 – A second consecutive yr qualifying final for the Japanese Grand Prix and just about glued to the again of the pack till Aston Martin retired the automotive.
Oliver Bearman – 4 – Having been one of many stars of the season thus far, Japan didn’t go his manner. Bearman was eradicated in Q1 with a suspected technical problem however even when he might get a lap in he did not ship on tempo. The crash within the race wasn’t his fault however maybe he might have judged his overspeed a tad higher – straightforward for me to say. Fortunately, he walked away from an enormous shunt and may have time to get well totally earlier than we go racing once more in early Could.
