Antonelli wins Japanese GP to secure back-to-back victories and take championship lead

[p]The Italian, who started from pole but dropped to sixth after a ‌tardy start, crossed the line 13.7 seconds clear of Australian [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/piastri-oscar/MqKAIeUf/"]Oscar Piastri[/a], who handed reigning champions McLaren their first podium ‌of the season. Ferrari’s [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/leclerc-charles/KlCOSRub/"]Charles Leclerc[/a] was third.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/antonelli-andrea-kimi/ptGu0mT1/"]Antonelli[/a]’s win, his second from the opening three ‌races, gives him a nine-point lead in the overall standings over teammate [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/russell-george/xxF56RaN/"]George Russell[/a].[/b][/p][p]The Briton, who had held ‌a four-point advantage going into Sunday’s race, finished a distant fourth.[/p][p][b]"Of course, it’s too ‌early to think about the championship," [/b]said Antonelli, who also became the first Italian to win two Formula 1 races in a row since Alberto Ascari in 1953.[/p][p][b]"But we’re on the good way," [/b]he added, acknowledging the lucky timing ‌of the safety car but also pointing to his speed in ⁠the second half of the race.[/p][embed guid="294b171d-2bd1-4a40-b68a-f526cfc50a01" url="https://x.com/F1/status/2038144809668342004" social-type="twitter" /][p]Antonelli made ‌a tyre-smoking getaway that left him a sitting duck and allowed his rivals to stream past.[/p][p]Piastri, starting ​third, led into the first corner from Leclerc, reigning world champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/norris-lando/WSVABbVF/"]Lando Norris[/a], Russell and seven-times world champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hamilton-lewis/tI5Vpe1h/"]Lewis Hamilton[/a].[/p][p]It wasn't until lap 21 that Antonelli found himself back ​in the lead, inherited after his rivals, including teammate George Russell, pitted for fresh rubber.[/p][p]A heavy crash a lap later for Haas racer [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bearman-oliver/tMI3u5xo/"]Oliver Bearman[/a] triggered a safety car and turned the ⁠race in Antonelli’s favour.[/p][p]That gave the ​Italian the opportunity to make his stop while his rivals were running at reduced speed and keep the lead, leaving Russell, who had stopped just a lap earlier and had been leading from Antonelli, cursing his luck.[/p][h2]Bearman given all-clear after crash[/h2][p]Briton Bearman was given the all-clear by doctors after limping away from the ‌high-speed 50G crash.[/p][p]Replays showed him having to take avoiding action as he rapidly closed in on [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/colapinto-franco/GzFqySBA/"]Franco Colapinto[/a]’s Alpine, with a significant speed differential between the two cars.[/p][p]That sent Bearman onto the grass and into a heavy collision with the barriers.[/p][p]The 20-year-old was given an X-ray at the circuit’s medical centre, which revealed a right knee contusion but no fractures, a Haas spokesperson said.[/p][embed guid="acfde3a0-1053-4476-b447-4fd45e66bf71" url="https://x.com/F1/status/2038134038314053859" social-type="twitter" /][h2]McLarens bounce back from Chinese GP[/h2][p]Piastri’s podium helped McLaren bounce back from a dismal Chinese Grand Prix at which neither of their two cars were able to make the start in Sunday’s race.[/p][p]It was also redemption for Piastri, who until Sunday had only turned racing laps in China’s Saturday sprint, having crashed out ahead ‌of his home race in Australia.[/p][p][b]"Yeah, we do alright when we get to start!" [/b]joked the 24-year-old.[/p][p]Norris was fifth in the other McLaren ahead of Hamilton, and the Briton, like ‌Antonelli, benefited by pitting under the safety car to move up to third.[/p][p]But despite another Sunday afternoon of wheel-to-wheel battling, he was unable to hang on to the podium spot.[/p][embed guid="3c25c7e8-f9db-4f40-a03f-641a7d1c2ac4" url="https://x.com/F1/status/2038146624631800270" social-type="twitter" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gasly-pierre/nqYFMBBf/"]Pierre Gasly[/a] was seventh for Alpine.[/p][p]Four-time world champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/verstappen-max/UV3mgeXB/"]Max Verstappen[/a], who said he was "beyond frustration" after a poor qualifying on Saturday, salvaged some points in eighth.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lawson-liam/nap8RjeO/"]Liam Lawson[/a] was ninth for Racing Bulls ⁠, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ocon-esteban/nZKY1D4O/"]Esteban Ocon[/a] 10th in his Haas.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/alonso-fernando/rVRhR90U/"]Fernando Alonso[/a] ⁠handed Aston Martin their first finish ‌of the year at power unit partner Honda's home race. The Spaniard was 18th.[/p]