F1, Antonelli youngest ever leader of the World Championship

Suzuka (Japan), Mar 29 (LaPresse) – With his victory at the Japanese GP, which propels him to the top of the standings (+9 over George Russell), Kimi Antonelli becomes the youngest World Championship leader in history (19 years, 7 months, 4 days). He breaks Lewis Hamilton’s record (22 years, 4 months, 6 days, at the Spanish GP 2007). The Bolognese driver is the tenth in history to win the first two GPs “back-to-back,” the first since Leclerc in 2019. It has been since 1952 with Alberto Ascari (Netherlands and Belgium) that an Italian driver had won two consecutive races. Antonelli is also the first Italian driver with more than one career victory since Giancarlo Fisichella (3 wins from 2003–2006). He is the first Italian to lead the championship in a GP that is not the season opener since 1985 (Michele Alboreto up to the 9th round). Antonelli is also the first Italian to win at Suzuka since Riccardo Patrese in 1992.