Italian teenager Kimi Antonelli secured his second successive victory of the season, winning the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday to extend Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team’s unbeaten run in 2026.

The 19-year-old finished 13.7 seconds ahead of Oscar Piastri of McLaren, with Charles Leclerc of Ferrari taking third at the Suzuka Circuit.

Antonelli, who had claimed his maiden win in China two weeks ago, now leads the drivers’ standings with 72 points after three races, becoming the youngest driver to top the championship.

“It’s too early to think about the championship, but we’re in a good way,” Antonelli said. “I got a terrible start, I just need to check what happened. Definitely, it’s been a weak point this year and I need to improve that because you can easily win or lose races with that.”

Despite starting from pole, Antonelli dropped to sixth after a poor getaway, as Piastri surged into the lead at the first corner. However, the Mercedes driver recovered steadily and took control after a safety car on lap 22, triggered by a crash involving Haas driver Oliver Bearman.

“I don’t know what would have happened, what the outcome would have been without the safety car,” Antonelli said. “But that definitely made life a lot easier.”

Also read: Antonelli claims maiden Formula One victory

Piastri, who delivered a strong performance despite missing the opening two races, acknowledged Mercedes’ pace advantage. “It’s a shame we never got to see what would have happened, but for us at this point to be disappointed about finishing second, is a pretty good place to be,” he said.

George Russell finished fourth for Mercedes, while McLaren’s Lando Norris was fifth. Lewis Hamilton, now with Ferrari, came sixth, continuing an improved run after securing a podium in China.

Mercedes have now won all three races this season, following Russell’s victory in Australia and Antonelli’s triumph in China, under new 2026 regulations featuring a 50-50 split between internal combustion and electric power.

Formula 1 will now enter a five-week break, with April races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia called off due to the West Asia conflict. The next race is scheduled in Miami on May 3.