All articles tagged with #antonelli
Andrea Kimi Antonelli won the 2026 F1 Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka with Oscar Piastri finishing second on his first 2026 start; Charles Leclerc claimed third ahead of George Russell, Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton. Oliver Bearman survived a high‑g collision with a bruised knee, while a late Safety Car influenced strategy. The result keeps Antonelli atop the standings as the youngest driver to lead the world championship.
Pole-winner Kimi Antonelli will lead the Suzuka grid with Russell second; Piastri third, Leclerc fourth, Norris fifth and Hamilton sixth, while Max Verstappen starts 11th after Q2 exit. Today's race start was delayed by 10 minutes due to barrier repairs at Turn 12, with the formation lap scheduled for 06:10 BST.
Kimi Antonelli took pole for the 2026 F1 Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka with a 1:28.778, delivering Mercedes a one-two alongside George Russell. Oscar Piastri qualified third, Charles Leclerc fourth, Lando Norris fifth and Lewis Hamilton sixth, while reigning champion Max Verstappen was eliminated in Q2 and starts 11th on the grid.
Pole-sitter Kimi Antonelli leads five takeaways from Suzuka: a 2026 energy-recovery cap revived qualifying, Williams regressed, Red Bull now midfield, rookie Arvid Lindblad impressing by reaching Q3, and Antonelli emerging as a real threat to Mercedes while Verstappen had a rare Q2 exit.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli claimed his first Formula One victory at the Shanghai International Circuit, winning the Chinese Grand Prix and helping Mercedes extend their strong start to the season.
Nineteen-year-old Antonelli claimed pole for the Chinese Grand Prix in a dramatic qualifying session dominated by reliability issues for Russell, including a broken front wing and a late gearbox hiccup. Leclerc led early in Q1, Hamilton finished 0.351 seconds off pole in third, Norris was close for McLaren, and Verstappen lamented a weekend that left the Red Bull undriveable and well off the pace.
Kimi Antonelli set the fastest time (1m32.803s) on day five of Bahrain pre-season testing, beating Oscar Piastri as Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull led a busy session; Aston Martin again struggled, with Fernando Alonso’s AMR26 limited by issues and finishing 4.669s off the pace after 68 laps.
Mercedes prioritizes renewing George Russell and Kimi Antonelli for 2026 despite interest from Max Verstappen, amid ongoing discussions and speculation about Verstappen's future options in F1.
The article debates Mercedes' potential 2026 driver lineup, considering rumors of Max Verstappen joining the team, and discusses whether to pair him with George Russell or Andrea Kimi Antonelli, ultimately weighing the benefits of performance, development, and long-term stability.