Overview
- Antonelli won Sunday at Suzuka ahead of Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc and became the youngest‑ever F1 championship leader at 18.
- Oscar Piastri launched from third to the lead at the lights and held off George Russell until the Safety Car bunched the field.
- A lap‑22 crash for Oliver Bearman at Spoon brought out the Safety Car and, after an estimated 51G impact, doctors reported no fractures.
- Weekend form tilted toward Mercedes as it topped practice and locked out the front row in qualifying with Antonelli on pole, while Max Verstappen struggled for balance, missed Q3, and later finished eighth.
- Gabriel Bortoleto finished 13th after a preventative gearbox change in second practice limited his track time.