KIMI ANTONELLI became F1’s youngest ever title leader – but was not allowed a celebratory bottle of champers on the podium because he was too young!
The 19-year-old Mercedes youngster deserved to raise a glass after winning the Japanese Grand Prix to achieve back-to-back victories.
But he falls under Japan’s national drinking age of 20, so he had to settle for sparkling rose water compared to Moet bubbles for second-place Oscar Piastri and third-place Charles Leclerc.
Antonelli has now taken Lewis Hamilton’s record of being the youngest driver to lead the world championship that has stood since 2007.
But he brushed off talk of the title as premature despite firing a huge warning shot to his teammate George Russell, who only managed a fourth-place finish.
Antonelli said: “It feels pretty good! Of course, it’s too early to think about the championship but we are on a good way.
“I had a terrible start. I need to check what happened. Then I was lucky with the Safety Car to be in the lead but then the pace was incredible.
“It was really nice. The second stint I felt very good with the car. I’m very pleased with that.”
Frustrations have built for championship favourite Russell, who now goes into F1’s month-long break nine points behind Antonelli in the standings.
Italian teenager Antonelli had actually dropped from pole to sixth at the start of the race.
BEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UK
But the decisive moment came when he was gifted a free pit stop after Ollie Bearman crashed out of the race at 191mph on the 22nd lap.
The timing of the subsequent safety car then derailed Russell’s hopes as he slipped from second to third before a battery problem allowed both Lewis Hamilton and Leclerc ahead.
The best travel deals for F1
He was then stuck in a dog-fight with the two Ferraris and McLaren instead of being able to exploit the blistering pace from Mercedes’ car.
Russell’s recent woes began after he broke down in qualifying in China last time out to hand Antonelli a free run at pole, which he converted into his maiden win.
And in Suzuka he had taken a pit-stop just one-lap before the safety car was deployed.
He let his frustrations out on the team radio and said: “Unbelievable!
“Wow. F*** our luck in these last two races…”
He added after the race: “At the moment, it is just one thing after the other.
“Racing can go for you, but it can also go against you too, and at the moment, every issue we are having is on my side of the garage and I am the one going through that pain.
“Sometimes people have problems in practice. We have not had a single issue in practice, but I have had problems in qualifying instead. It is the luck of the draw with these new cars.
“But it is race three of 22, and I am not concerned at all. It is a long year, and I know I have got what it takes to bounce back. I won’t dwell on it.”
For the opening stages of the race it was Piastri who had led and looked as though he might go on to win it.
But he had also pitted under the green flag before the safety car was called into action.
Piastri had been going toe to toe with Russell on pace in the opening laps which suggested McLaren could bring the fight to Merc as the season continues.
Russell was snapping at the Aussie’s heels for several laps then overtook him into the chicane on lap eight only for Piastri to nudge back ahead down the pit straight one lap later.
Russell never came close again and Piastri found his feet, even telling his team on the radio that he could hold onto the win if they kept him in the lead through the pit stops.
Of course, Bearman’s horror crash and the safety car arrived to scupper Piastri’s hopes.
There were still positive signs for reigning Constructors’ champions, McLaren, who toasted their best result of the season with Lando Norris finishing fifth.
Hamilton was sixth for Ferrari, Pierre Gasly was seventh for Alpine, Max Verstappen eighth for Red Bull, Liam Lawson ninth for Racing Bulls and Esteban Ocon 10th for Haas.
Seven-time world champion Hamilton bemoaned a “pretty terrible” weekend as he dwindled away from the podium places in the latter stages of the race.
Hamilton had actually benefitted from the mid-race Safety Car and overtook Russell on the restart to go into third but was unable to hold off the Mercedes and Leclerc.
But he had a glint in his eye as he watched Mercedes Antonelli scooping up the win to follow in his footsteps.
