The 2026 Japanese Grand Prix saw Italian driver Kimi Antonelli securing his second victory of the season. This win positioned him at the top of the drivers’ standings, nine points ahead of his Mercedes teammate, George Russell, who finished fourth in Suzuka.
Piastri Shines with High Scores
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri delivered an impressive performance, finishing in second place despite not starting the first two races of the season. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc rounded out the podium in third place.
Driver Ratings from the Weekend
- Kimi Antonelli: 8.5 – After a breakthrough victory in China, Antonelli showed pace in qualifying. A challenging start resulted in him dropping to sixth, but he capitalized on a safety car to secure the win.
- Oscar Piastri: 9 – Piastri began the race strongly, overtaking both Mercedes by Turn One. His ability to control the race until a safety car was a highlight.
- Charles Leclerc: 8 – Leclerc consistently outperformed his teammate, showcasing strong wheel-to-wheel racing, notably battling Hamilton and defending against Russell effectively.
- George Russell: 7 – Russell faced pacing struggles following a suspension adjustment during qualifying. Despite a decent performance, he was unable to challenge for the podium.
- Lando Norris: 8 – Despite reliability concerns earlier in the weekend, Norris regrouped well, making significant progress during the race.
- Lewis Hamilton: 6 – Hamilton struggled with pace in his Ferrari and spent much of the weekend competing closely with Leclerc.
- Pierre Gasly: 9 – Gasly excelled, finishing best of the rest in qualifying and keeping Max Verstappen at bay throughout the race.
- Max Verstappen: 6 – Verstappen faced continuous challenges during the race, struggling to find a competitive edge despite recent upgrades to his car.
- Liam Lawson: 7 – Lawson had a quiet race, benefitting from the safety car for a strategic pit stop, ultimately finishing in the points.
- Esteban Ocon: 7 – Ocon returned to form, performing better than during previous races and showing good pace against his teammate.
- Nico Hulkenberg: 6 – Hulkenberg missed out on a Q3 opportunity due to a mistake and did not capitalize on the safety car advantage during the race.
- Isack Hadjar: 6 – Although he outqualified Verstappen, Hadjar had a disappointing race, struggling to maintain pace.
- Gabriel Bortoleto: 6 – Despite a solid start to qualify, Bortoleto lost ground early in the race and couldn’t recover.
- Arvid Lindblad: 8 – After limited practice, Lindblad excelled in the race until a safety car disrupted his rhythm.
- Carlos Sainz: 6 – Sainz’s performance was steady, though he failed to score points for the second consecutive race.
- Franco Colapinto: 4 – A poor performance contrasted sharply with his previous race, marked by a heavy crash after a misjudgment.
- Sergio Perez: 7 – Although he struggled initially, Perez outqualified his teammate and had a respectable race.
- Fernando Alonso: 7 – Alonso finally finished a race this season, providing some relief for his team.
- Valtteri Bottas: 6 – Despite an upgrade, Bottas fell behind his teammate during the race.
- Alex Albon: 5 – Albon faced challenges throughout the weekend and was unable to secure a strong finish.
- Lance Stroll: 5 – Stroll struggled for pace and ultimately retired from the race.
- Oliver Bearman: 4 – A disappointing race for Bearman, who was involved in a significant crash but emerged unscathed.
The Japanese Grand Prix was a showcase of emerging talents and established stars in the Formula 1 world. With Piastri’s high score in driver ratings, the competition continues to heat up as the season unfolds.
