The winner of the Japanese Grand Prix explained why he found himself stuck in the slipstream of Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari SF-26, unable to find a way past despite the apparent pace advantage of the Mercedes.
Antonelli capitalizes on pace and a bit of luck
In the closing stages of the Japanese Grand Prix, George Russell was unable to get past the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc, ultimately missing out on a podium finish. A similar situation had already played out earlier in the race with Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who found himself unable to overtake the Ferrari driver during the opening stint.
The turning point came when Charles Leclerc was called into the pits, effectively clearing the path for the young Italian Mercedes driver. From that moment, Andrea Kimi Antonelli was able to push freely and build momentum, eventually securing his second consecutive victory. The timing of the Safety Car proved crucial, allowing him to make his pit stop while retaining the race lead.
Leclerc fights back on track
Andrea Kimi Antonelli had initially managed to overtake Charles Leclerc before the final chicane, the Triangle. However, he was unable to hold onto the position, partly due to a visible snap of oversteer on the exit of the final corner.
Charles Leclerc responded immediately. Using the main straight, the Ferrari driver reclaimed the position well before the braking zone of Turn 1. From there, the Monegasque driver delivered two impressive moves, overtaking both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell in quick succession, underlining Ferrari’s competitiveness in race conditions.
Antonelli explains the difficulty of overtaking
Speaking in the post-race press conference, Andrea Kimi Antonelli explained why Charles Leclerc proved so difficult to pass, even with a Mercedes that appeared stronger on paper.
“It was very difficult to stay behind Leclerc because we had completely different energy management strategies,” Kimi Antonelli said. “It was extremely hard to find the right moment to make a move. Fortunately, he pitted and that gave me a clear track. Without the Safety Car, I’m not sure how it would have ended. I was lucky.”
The Italian driver’s comments highlight one of the key aspects of modern Formula 1: energy deployment can significantly influence on-track battles, sometimes making overtaking more dependent on strategy than outright pace.
In summary, the Charles Leclerc-Ferrari partnership continues to be one of the most resilient pairings on the grid. Based on Kimi Antonelli’s admission, Mercedes still has work to do to ensure their technical advantage translates into easier track position when faced with the defensive prowess of the Scuderia.
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