How did Antonelli reflect on his second F1 victory?
Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s Formula 1 education is accelerating at a remarkable pace. Two weeks after taking his maiden Grand Prix victory, the Mercedes rookie backed it up with a composed, opportunistic and ultimately dominant win at the Japanese Grand Prix — a result that showcased both his raw speed and his growing racecraft.
The victory did not come easily. Starting from pole, Antonelli immediately found himself on the back foot after a sluggish launch dropped him to sixth. The Italian was blunt in his self‑assessment afterward, admitting: “I made a bad start from pole and was kicking myself that we lost so many positions.”
But what followed was the kind of recovery drive that marks out a future title contender. Once he cleared traffic and settled into a rhythm on the Medium tyre, Antonelli’s pace came alive. As he put it: “When we were in free air on the Medium tyre though, I was able to improve my pace quite a lot.”
That speed allowed him to climb back to second and begin reeling in teammate George Russell — just as the race pivoted on a moment of fortune. Russell pitted first, and one lap later the Safety Car was deployed. Mercedes immediately boxed Antonelli, handing him a “cheap” stop that kept him ahead of the field.
Antonelli didn’t shy away from acknowledging the timing: “We were fortunate with the timing of the Safety Car and that put us in the lead; it made my life a lot easier!”
Yet he was equally clear that luck alone didn’t define the outcome: “Who knows what would have happened without that, but I felt like we had the speed today to challenge for the win without it.”
From the restart onward, the 19‑year‑old was untouchable. He controlled the pace, managed the tyres, and drove away from the field to win by nearly 14 seconds — a margin that underscored just how comfortable he felt once in command.
The win also gives Antonelli a perfect record so far in his fledgling F1 career: three races, two victories, and a rapidly growing sense that he belongs at the front. Still, he remains grounded about the work ahead. “This is the best way to head into this mini break in the season,” he said. “I am going to enjoy the moment but use the time well to work on where I can improve.”
Despite Mercedes sweeping the opening three rounds, Antonelli stressed that the team cannot afford complacency. “As a team, and despite winning the first three races, we know we need to keep raising our game too,” he noted. “We had a real battle today and we know that it's not going to be easy to keep up this run of form.”
With Miami next on the calendar after a brief pause, Antonelli is already looking ahead. “We're looking forward to using the time ahead of Miami well and hopefully putting ourselves in a strong position once the season resumes.”
