Overview
- Kimi Antonelli won Sunday at Suzuka to take the championship lead after pitting under a Safety Car triggered by Oliver Bearman’s high‑speed crash.
- Bearman limped away from a 50G impact after closing rapidly on Franco Colapinto’s slower Alpine, and Haas said X‑rays showed a right knee contusion with no fractures.
- The FIA said it will review data on the 2026 regulations in April as drivers press for changes to large closing‑speed gaps during the five‑week break before Miami.
- Oscar Piastri led the early laps and finished second, Charles Leclerc took third, and Mercedes again struggled at the start despite strong race pace in clean air.
- Max Verstappen finished eighth and called the new cars “anti‑driving,” adding to pressure to adjust energy‑deployment rules that can suddenly cut top speed and catch trailing drivers out.