Suzuka delivered a Japanese Grand Prix that will be hard to forget. Kimi Antonelli won for the second race in a row to become the youngest championship leader in Formula 1 history — and because Japan’s legal drinking age is 20, he celebrated on the podium with sparkling rose water in a champagne-shaped bottle while everyone else doused him. He is 19. He qualified on pole, dropped to sixth on the opening lap after a terrible start, and still won by 16 seconds. The last time an Italian driver won back-to-back Formula 1 races was 1953.
Oscar Piastri made his first race start of the 2026 season and immediately led for 15 laps. He finished second. Charles Leclerc completed the podium for Ferrari, surviving a mid-race battle with Lewis Hamilton that included contact close enough for both drivers to mention it in the cool-down room. The Ferrari team dynamic — two equally competitive drivers, no clear hierarchy, no apparent team strategy — is becoming one of the more compelling storylines of the season.
The race was also marked by Ollie Bearman’s 50G crash, caused by the new regulations’ sudden power clipping, which left him limping from the car. Carlos Sainz made the point publicly that the same incident on a street circuit could have had a very different outcome, and he is calling on the FIA to act during the five-week break.
Di and Ciara also cover George Russell’s frustration with the safety car timing, Jonathan Wheatley’s departure from Audi, Fernando Alonso becoming a first-time dad, and the Japanese fan traditions that make Suzuka one of the most special rounds on the calendar.
The Away We Go Japan travel guide is now live and free to download.
Listen to Ep65 of Away We Go Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.