Summary

  • Kimi Antonelli wins Japanese Grand Prix

  • Italian, 19, becomes youngest driver to lead championship

  • Piastri second, Leclerc third and Russell fourth

  • Norris fifth and Hamilton sixth

  • Oliver Bearman hurts knee in 50G crash

  • Antonelli dropped back after starting on pole but benefited from safety car

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Live Reporting

Lorraine McKenna

  1. Lap 12/53

    Oscar Piastri is leading George Russell by just under a second but the Mercedes driver is banking the fastest laps of the race but he's not close enough to mount a challenge just yet.

  2. Alice Powell
    British racing driver on BBC Radio 5 Live

    HamiltonGetty Images

    Lewis Hamilton has struggled all weekend compared to his team-mate, he's said he is lacking confidence in the car and not able to get on with it this weekend.

  3. Antonelli overtakes Norris

    Lap 11/53

    Kimi Antonelli fancies making the same move on Lando Norris as George Russell did on Oscar Piastri a few moments ago - go for the overtake at the chicane. The Italian takes his team's advice and is now up to fourth place, dropping Norris back to fifth spot.

  4. Alice Powell
    British racing driver on BBC Radio 5 Live

    That's Oscar saying, yes, you may be in the faster car but I am not going to let you have this easy.

  5. Lap 10/53

    PiastriGetty Images

    While Oscar Piastri and George Russell scrap for the best seat in the house, Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris and Kimi Antonelli are getting themselves into a fight over that final podium place.

  6. Piastri retakes lead

    Lap 9/53

    And by Turn One, with a little help from the overtake button, Oscar Piastri is able to mount an attack and retake the lead of the Japanese Grand Prix from George Russell.

  7. Russell leads at Suzuka

    Lap 8/53

    RussellGetty Images

    George Russell is inching towards Oscar Piastri and ready to take his chance for the lead of the race towards the end of the lap. The pair reach the chicane and Russell pounces! The Mercedes driver moves in P1, but will he have enough battery to defend from the McLaren?

  8. Alice Powell
    British racing driver on BBC Radio 5 Live

    I'm amazed how Kimi Antonelli hasn't been doing what George Russell has been doing and coming through. Somewhere along the line he is struggling to get past [Lando Norris].

  9. Lap 7/53

    Oscar Piastri is leading at Suzuka after spying a chance to slip by on the inside of Kimi Antonelli at lights out from P3 on the grid. The Australian has George Russell breathing down his neck now, so how long can he can he keep the Mercedes driver at bay?

  10. Alice Powell
    British racing driver on BBC Radio 5 Live

    BortoletGetty Images

    I'm wondering what happened to Gabriel Bortoleto. He has dropped way down from where he has started. He started in ninth place, down to 15th now. Kimi Antonelli still not able to get past Lando Norris.

  11. Lap 6/53

    Replays of the race start show Kimi Antonelli watching a gaggle of cars go past him. The polesitter is sat in fifth place, one place behind Lando Norris and just ahead of the Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton.

  12. Lap 5/53

    LindbladGetty Images

    Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad is ahead of the Red Bull of Max Verstappen in the points places but as the two cars reach the hairpin, the four-time world champion passes the Briton and is up to eighth place. Lindblad is then overtaken by the Haas of Esteban Ocon, so he's back in 10th spot.

  13. Russell making moves

    Lap 4/53

    Charles Leclerc went to up second from fourth on the race start but the Ferrari driver loses position to the George Russell, who after disposing of title holder Lando Norris, makes his move on Leclerc for P2. The Mercedes is clocking the fastest laps and leader Oscar Piastri is next on his list.

  14. Alice Powell
    British racing driver on BBC Radio 5 Live

    George Russell had another snap of oversteer, we saw this yesterday from him out of the final chicane and another one there but disaster for Antonelli. It should be easy for the Mercedes to slice through the pack. Looking at the pace from Piastri, he's making it look fairly comfortable.

  15. Russell overtakes Norris

    Lap 3/53

    RussellGetty Images

    World champion Lando Norris is out of the podium places now, as the Mercedes of George Russell starts to make his way through to challenge again at the front.

    Kimi Antonelli certainly has work to do to claw his way to another F1 win. The Italian is in fifth place and looking to battle with Norris for fourth.

  16. Piastri leads

    Lap 2/53

    Oscar Piastri hadn't started a race yet and now he leads from third. The Australian is 1.5 seconds clear of the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc and his McLaren team-mate Lando Norris.

    Max Verstappen has climbed to ninth place after an overtake on Red Bull team-mate Isack Hadjar, who is now under pressure from Brit rookie Arvid Lindblad.

  17. Alice Powell
    British racing driver on BBC Radio 5 Live

    PiastriGetty Images

    Brilliant start from Oscar, hasn't started a grand prix all year and he certain waited for this one. He has a good gap already to Charles Leclerc in second place.

  18. Go! Go! Go!

    Lap 1/53

    The Japanese Grand Prix is under way!

    Oscar Piastri leads the race from third after a terrible start for Kimi Antonelli! The Italian has dropped all the way down to sixth place, while the other McLaren of Lando Norris has taken Piastri's P3 spot.

    Both Mercedes have tumbled down, with George Russell now in fourth. Charles Leclerc is up to second, Lewis Hamilton is fifth.

  19. 'Is Antonelli a potential world champion? - Hill

    1996 world champion Damon Hill talking to 5 Live's Jennie Gow: "We're expecting this unusual 2026 style start where the Ferraris may jump the cars ahead of them but honestly we really don't know. The first 10 laps of the races this season have been really fascinating and quite frantic. What's interesting for me, is this the sudden appearance of Kimi Antonelli on the stage as a potential world champion?"

    On Antonelli's performances: "He went through the tough bit, he realised that F1 isn't easy, even if you're incredibly talented. But Toto [Wolff] has put his arm around him and the team have come around him and really solidified the confidence and he did a great job in China. He's going to have a fight against George definitely. I honestly don't know [who will win] between George and Kimi but it's definitely between those two."

  20. Norris 'has not had a great weekend'

    Alice Powell
    British racing driver on BBC Radio 5 Live

    Lando Norris has just been unlucky, hasn't he? That's what McLaren are saying at least but I think there is a little more to it because they seemed to have too many things go wrong. Oscar Piastri starts his first grand prix today, I don't want to jinx it. He's not had a great weekend, Lando, with reliability issues, does a fairly decent job, still lacking a bit behind his team-mate, which I think he has been, even through the practice sessions over the weekend. Some drivers are adapting a little better to their team-mates with these new regulations.