F1, Japanese GP: Antonelli leading the World Championship: "Still early to think about it"

Another feat by Antonelli, who also took home the Japanese GP. The new World Championship leader (+9 over teammate Russell), drove extraordinarily well. Making the most of the safety car, the young Mercedes driver then made a vacuum behind him, bringing home a success that certifies his talent. He is the first driver, under the age of 20, to lead the Formula 1 drivers’ standings.

The last Italian driver to lead the drivers’ standings before Antonelli was Fisichella who, in 2005, was first thanks to his success in the opening race. Before Fisichella, you have to go back to the likes of Alboreto, De Angelis and Ascari to see an Italian “lead” in Formula 1.

At the end of the race, Antonelli appeared beaming: “I feel very good. Obviously it is still early to think about the World Championship but we are on the right track. I got lucky with the safety car, but then the pace was incredible. The bad start? In these weeks I will focus on the starts that, so far, are what is not going as I would like,” his clear words after the race.

The young Italian driver then returned to talk about the decisive moment of the race: “Yes we got lucky with the safety car. But then with the hard ones the pace was incredible. Definitely the safety car helped me a lot. I am happy to have won on this track. Racing here is a unique experience,” his closing remark. Antonelli, like the rest of the riders, is now expected at the Miami GP, after about a month of forced break.