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Kimi Antonelli Wins Japanese GP | Verstappen Struggles, Bearman Crash Raises Safety Concerns

Posted : 31 March 2026

Kimi Antonelli claimed a commanding victory at the Japanese Grand Prix, starting from pole and fending off McLaren’s Oscar Piastri. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen endured a difficult race, finishing eighth and voicing frustrations over the new Red Bull and Formula One regulations.

Despite being only in his second season, 19-year-old Antonelli has become the youngest driver to lead the championship. Mercedes are cautious about raising expectations. “We need to protect him now from people talking about world championships,” said team principal Toto Wolff. Antonelli himself credited a timely safety car for giving him the chance to switch to fresh tyres and regain the lead.

The young driver admitted his start was far from ideal. “I had a terrible start. I need to check what happened,” Antonelli explained. “Luckily, the safety car helped me take the lead, and the pace after that was incredible. I now have three weeks to work on my clutch drops to improve my starts. It’s something that can easily make or break a race.”

Verstappen, a four-time world champion, publicly questioned his future in Formula One following another disappointing outing. He criticized the new regulations, calling them “anti-driving” and acknowledged that at times he simply couldn’t compete with faster cars. “Formula One bosses know what to do,” he added. “You don’t need to feel sorry for me, I’ll be fine.”

The weekend also saw a major safety incident when Oliver Bearman’s Haas collided with the barriers while avoiding Franco Colapinto’s Alpine. Bearman escaped serious injury, but the crash raised concerns about the current regulations that allow cars to travel at very different speeds simultaneously.

Grand Prix Drivers’ Association chief Carlos Sainz highlighted the risk: “These kinds of accidents were always going to happen. We need a safer way to race.” Bearman emphasized that the incident was a warning the FIA should take seriously.

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