Kimi Antonelli becomes Formula One's youngest championship leader after Japanese GP win, breaking Lewis Hamilton's record and extending his dream start.
Kimi Antonelli secured his second consecutive pole position at the Japanese Grand Prix, leading a Mercedes front-row lockout. Max Verstappen struggled, starting 11th.
Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes wins the Japanese Grand Prix, becoming the youngest-ever championship leader. The race saw a high-speed crash involving Oliver Bearman, who was later cleared by doctors.
Max Verstappen asked a journalist to leave his Thursday media briefing at the Japanese Grand Prix, with the Dutchman still upset over a question asked by the same reporter in December about an incident that potentially cost him a fifth straight drivers' title.
Formula One's new energy rules face criticism after the Japanese GP, with drivers questioning racing quality and safety ahead of a five-week break.
Japan soccer great Kazuyoshi Miura, 58, said on Friday he had all but given up on a return to the J-League before signing for Fukushima United, adding that he hopes to contribute with goals and assists in the latest chapter of his age-defying career.
Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris topped the times for McLaren as four red flags, two caused by trackside grass fires, wreaked havoc with the second practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix on Friday.
Here's a look at some key moments which helped decide the championship fight.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli showed he was a quick learner by becoming F1's youngest race leader and fastest lap setter on his way to sixth place for Mercedes in the Japanese Grand Prix
Yuki Tsunoda said he has not been offered any guarantees about how long he will stay at Red Bull
Verstappen hustled his Honda-powered Red Bull around the popular figure-of-eight layout in one minute, 29.304 seconds
Verstappen crossed the line in his Red Bull for his 64th Grand Prix victory to a huge ovation from the 115,000 crowd some 1.4 seconds ahead of McLaren's championship leader Lando Norris in second place.
Formula One will have two races in Spain next season with Madrid's new street circuit making its debut in September and Italy's Imola dropping off the 24-round calendar, F1 and the governing FIA announced on Tuesday.
World champion Max Verstappen took pole position for the Japanese Grand Prix on Saturday, stunning the McLarens with a late flying lap.
Qualifying took place at a sunny Suzuka on Sunday morning after being postponed from its usual Saturday slot due to the approach of Typhoon Hagibis.
Yuki Tsunoda will race for Red Bull from his home Japanese Formula One Grand Prix next week with struggling New Zealander Liam Lawson demoted to sister team Racing Bulls in a straight swap.
Suzuka will host the Japanese Grand Prix next year as well as in 2011, the operators of the Honda-owned circuit said on Sunday after meeting Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone. Next year's race had been due to be hosted by Toyota's Fuji facility under an agreement to alternate but was thrown into doubt last month when that circuit gave up the hosting rights due to the global economic downturn.
World champion Max Verstappen got back to winning ways on Sunday with a third straight pole-to-flag victory at the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix, leading teammate Sergio Perez across the line for a Red Bull 1-2 at Suzuka.
Suzuka circuit will alternate with Fuji as host of the Japanese Grand Prix from 2009, Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone and local organisers said on Saturday.
Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel limbered up for a Japanese Grand Prix that could bring him a fourth successive title on Sunday with the fastest time in Friday practice.
Lewis Hamilton always dreamed of matching the achievements of his boyhood idol Ayrton Senna, winning as many races and titles as the late great Brazilian who had inspired him to beat the odds.
French driver Jules Bianchi was taken to hospital after being seriously injured in a crash that brought a halt to a wet Japanese Formula One Grand Prix on Sunday.
Formula One drivers will hold a minute's silence at the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday and dedicate the winner's podium to the late Marussia test driver Maria De Villota, they said on Saturday.
Formula One world champion Max Verstappen took pole position for a third straight year at the Japanese Grand Prix on Saturday, with Sergio Perez qualifying a close second to ensure a Red Bull front-row lockout.
Formula One will have a record 24 races in the season that starts in Bahrain on Saturday.
The victory at Suzuka was the Dutch driver's 13th in 16 races this season and left him on the brink of a third world title.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc qualified fourth with Mexican Sergio Perez, Verstappen's closest title rival and team mate but a massive 151 points adrift after 15 of 22 rounds, fifth and 0.773 off his team mate's pace.
Formula One will have a record 24 Grands Prix in 2024 with China back on the calendar after a five-year absence.
The 2021 Japanese Formula One Grand Prix has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic for the second successive year.
Verstappen suffered two retirements from the first three races but has otherwise finished all but two rounds in the top three.
Fernando Alonso all but wrapped up his second Formula One title with a win at Japanese Grand Prix.
The Dutch driver won the race at Suzuka, with Leclerc demoted from second to third behind Red Bull's Sergio Perez for cutting the final chicane while defending from the Mexican on the last lap.
"There's a lot of work that still needs to be done in this sport. "I can't retire now, because I'm only just embarking on helping create a more open and inclusive environment here in this sport and I've got to stay to help that continue." said Hamilton.
Red Bull's Sergio Perez scored his second win of the season in Sunday's Singapore Grand Prix ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc as title favourite Max Verstappen was forced to put his championship champagne on ice after finishing seventh.
Adrian Sutil underlined his stature as a wet weather specialist by posting the quickest time in Friday's rain-marred second practice session ahead of Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix. Heavy rain nearly washed out Friday's practice sessions and it was worse in the afternoon as puddles covered the track for the first hour, with only the final 10 minutes allowing the field to venture out to complete flying laps.
Miami makes its debut in May while Qatar drops off for a year due to hosting the football World Cup and China is still missing due to COVID-19 restrictions.
"I'm just extremely grateful that I'm here, and tonight I'm going to call my family and all my loved ones. I passed two metres from that crane. If, I had been two metres to the left, I would have been dead."
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