By Abhishek Takle
SUZUKA, Japan, March 29 (Reuters) – Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli benefited from an opportunely timed safety car in Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix to clinch his second straight Formula One win and become, at just 19 years of age, the sport’s youngest ever championship leader.
The Italian, who started from pole but dropped to sixth after a tardy start, crossed the line 13.7 seconds clear of Australian Oscar Piastri, who handed reigning champions McLaren their first podium of the season. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was third.
Antonelli’s win, his second from the opening three races, gives him a nine-point lead in the overall standings over teammate George Russell.
The Briton, who had held a four-point advantage going into Sunday’s race, finished a distant fourth.
“Of course, it’s too early to think about the championship,” said Antonelli who also became the first Italian to win two Formula One races in a row since Alberto Ascari in 1953.
“But we’re on the good way,” he added, acknowledging the lucky timing of the safety car but also pointing to his speed in the second half of the race.
SLOW START
Antonelli made a tyre smoking getaway that left him a sitting duck and allowed his rivals to stream past.
Piastri, starting third, led into the first corner from Leclerc, reigning world champion Lando Norris, Russell and seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton.
It wasn’t until lap 21 that Antonelli found himself back in the lead, inherited after his rivals, including teammate George Russell, pitted for fresh rubber.
A heavy crash a lap later for Haas racer Oliver Bearman triggered a safety car and turned the race in Antonelli’s favour.
That gave the Italian the opportunity to make his stop while his rivals were running at reduced speed and keep the lead, leaving Russell, who had stopped just a lap earlier and had been leading from Antonelli, cursing his luck.
BEARMAN GIVEN ALL CLEAR
Briton Bearman was given the all-clear by doctors after limping away from the high-speed 50G crash.
Replays showed him having to take avoiding action as he rapidly closed in on Franco Colapinto’s Alpine, with a significant speed differential between the two cars.
That sent Bearman onto the grass and into a heavy collision with the barriers.
The 20-year-old was given an X-ray at the circuit’s medical centre which revealed a right knee contusion but no fractures, a Haas spokesperson said.
REDEMPTION FOR PIASTRI
Piastri’s podium helped McLaren bounce back from a dismal Chinese Grand Prix at which neither of their two cars were able to make the start in Sunday’s race.
It was also redemption for Piastri, who until Sunday had only turned racing laps in China’s Saturday sprint, having crashed out ahead of his home race in Australia.
“Yeah, we do alright when we get to start!” joked the 24-year-old.
NORRIS FIFTH
Norris was fifth in the other McLaren ahead of Hamilton and the Briton, like Antonelli, benefited by pitting under the safety car to move up to third.
But despite another Sunday afternoon of wheel-to-wheel battling, he was unable to hang on to the podium spot.
Pierre Gasly was seventh for Alpine.
Four-times world champion Max Verstappen, who said he was “beyond frustration” after a poor qualifying on Saturday, salvaged some points in eighth.
Liam Lawson was ninth for Racing Bulls with Esteban Ocon 10th in his Haas.
Fernando Alonso handed Aston Martin their first finish of the year at power unit partner Honda’s home race. The Spaniard was 18th.
(Reporting by Abhishek Takle; editing by Peter Rutherford)
