Antonelli: It's too early to think about the title, but we are on the right track!

      Kimi Antonelli won the Japanese Grand Prix and became the youngest driver in Formula 1 history to take the lead in the World Championship standings. Moreover, the 19-year-old Mercedes driver is the first Italian to achieve two consecutive victories since 1953, when Alberto Ascari was on his way to his second championship title.

      Kimi Antonelli (1st): "The mood is great! Of course, it's too early to think about the championship, but we are on the right track! Speaking of the race, it all started with a terrible start, and I still need to figure out what happened then.

      Then I got lucky when the safety car came out, after which I took the lead, and the pace the car was capable of was simply incredibly high. In the second segment of the race, I felt very comfortable behind the wheel, which was very pleasing.

      It's good that we have the April break ahead, which will last a few weeks, and I will be able to practice the start procedure, work on how to release the clutch to better feel that moment. Definitely, this is our weak point in 2026, and I need to make improvements, as you can win or lose the race at the start.

      On the medium-hard tires, when the track was clear in front of me, we showed a confident pace, and when we switched to Hard tires, we went incredibly fast. However, I don't know how everything would have turned out if it weren't for the safety car, but its appearance made my life much easier!"

      The news is being updated...