Kimi Antonelli knocked George Russell off the world championship summit after he claimed his second win in a row at Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix.
Antonelli took advantage of a safety car period following British driver Ollie Bearman’s 140mph crash in Suzuka to land a free pit-stop and leapfrog his rivals.
The Italian teenager, who landed his debut win in China a fortnight ago, took the chequered flag 13.7 seconds clear of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, while Charles Leclerc kept Russell at bay to finish third.
Russell, who yelled “unbelievable” after he changed tyres just moments before the race-changing safety car, now trails Antonelli by nine points following a 13-point title swing in favour of his 19-year-old Mercedes team-mate.
Lando Norris finished fifth, one place ahead of Lewis Hamilton, with four-time world champion Max Verstappen eighth.
