Two weeks after this year’s Formula 1 round in China, the sport headed to Japan for the latest Grand Prix at the iconic figure-of-eight circuit called Suzuka, which is located 240 miles southwest of Tokyo, and it was Mercedes’ 19-year-old Kimi Antonelli who earned the right to stand on the top step of the post-race podium, becoming the first teenager to lead the Drivers’ Championship in the 76-year history of the sport.

The circuit used to host an annual Grand Prix close to the end of the season, and this helped it to feature in many title-sealing races in the past, involving many household names. Ayrton Senna claimed all three of his titles there in 1988, 1990 and 1991 for McLaren before Damon Hill clinched his sole title at the same venue in 1996. Two years later Mika Häkkinen took the first of his pair of titles for McLaren there, and on a day in October 2000, which I still remember so vividly, Michael Schumacher wrapped up his first of five titles for Ferrari.

Hence the legendary status of the track. However, it is owned by Honda, having been built by the global automotive giant back in 1962 as a test facility for its products as well as for racing activities. However, the unacceptably poor reliability and reduced petrol and electrical outputs from Honda’s latest Formula 1 power units have been the leading causes of Aston Martin’s struggles to date this season, with serious vibrations also a problem. Far better had been expected following the arrival from Red Bull of the long-time design guru, Adrian Newey, but the new car itself is also behind schedule in terms of its own development. As such, it was all highly embarrassing for not just Aston Martin but also Honda as the F1 circus arrived en masse to contest the third Grand Prix of the season.

On a lighter note, Aston Martin’s veteran lead driver, Fernando Alonso, was given permission to miss Thursday’s media day duties at Suzuka, as his arrival in Japan was delayed by the birth of a baby son with his partner, Melissa Jimenez. This was the 44-year-old Spanish driver’s first experience of fatherhood, although it was the fourth child for his partner.

Mercedes’ George Russell and Antonelli had been fastest in Friday’s opening practice ahead of the McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, with Aston Martin propping up the timing screens a mighty 3.6 seconds off the pace. The latter’s drivers were then similarly slowest in the remaining two practice sessions, as Piastri headed the second one before Antonelli led the way in the final session before qualifying. The latter was again all about Mercedes as Antonelli comfortably claimed a second consecutive Grand Prix pole position, leaving his more experienced teammate to be the best of the rest while complaining that changes had been made to his car which hampered his performance. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen had won the previous five Japanese Grands Prix from pole position, but the Red Bull driver, disillusioned and frustrated by the new 2026 regulations, was destined to start only 11th this time round. At the back of the grid the rookie Cadillac team was at least happy to have outqualified the Aston Martins, whose appalling season to date simply continued as they proved to be almost four seconds slower than Antonelli’s pole time.

The jury is still out as to whether this year’s all-new F1 technical regulations are actually an improvement on what we enjoyed before, and changes may follow. Post qualifying, Alonso joined other drivers in voicing his total unhappiness with the situation, claiming that high-speed skill was not needed anymore and that half the staff of his team could now drive around Suzuka in the latest cars! Something of an exaggeration, of course, but a point well made.

A Grand Prix is still a Grand Prix, though, and everyone still has to drive the 2026 cars, despite their hybrid-related limitations, as fast as they can, and in front of a sell-out crowd it was Piastri who made a superb start to take an early lead ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Norris. As the race progressed, though, it was Piastri, Russell and Leclerc who led the way before the pit stops to change rubber began.

However, the safety car was called into action on lap 22 after Haas’ Oliver Bearman had suffered a 50G crash at Spoon Curve after avoiding the far slower Alpine of Franco Colapinto, and this enabled both Antonelli and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton to benefit from making their stops under safety car conditions.

When racing resumed, a flying Antonelli led from Piastri and Hamilton, but, while the young Italian went on to pull out a 14-second lead over second-placed Piastri by the chequered flag, Hamilton gradually dropped from third to sixth, with Leclerc completing the podium trio.

With the conflict in the Middle East having forced the cancellation of the next two F1 rounds in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in April, there will now be a five-week gap before the following race weekend in Miami in early May, which will include a sprint event. There are times when Formula 1 rounds seem to come thick and fast, with little respite in between, but the 2026 schedule means that there will then be a further three-week interval after the Floridian event before the Canadian round in Montreal, which will also feature a sprint race.



2026 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix
1 Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) 1hr28m3.403s
2 Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +13.722s
3 Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +15.270s
4 George Russell (Mercedes) +15.754s
5 Lando Norris (McLaren) +23.479s
6 Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) +25.037s
7 Pierre Gasly (Alpine) +32.340s
8 Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +32.677s
9 Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) +50.180s
10 Esteban Ocon (Haas) +51.216s
11 Nico Hülkenberg (Audi) +52.280s
12 Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) +56.154s
13 Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) +59.078s
14 Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) +59.848s
15 Carlos Sainz (Williams) +65.008s
16 Franco Colapinto (Alpine) +65.773s
17 Sergio Pérez (Cadillac) +92.453s
18 Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) Lapped
19 Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac) Lapped
20 Alex Albon (Williams) Lapped
21 Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) Retired
22 Oliver Bearman (Haas) Retired



2026 Drivers’ Championship
1 Kimi Antonelli 72
2 George Russell 63
3 Charles Leclerc 49

2026 Constructors’ Championship
1 Mercedes 135
2 Ferrari 90
3 McLaren 46