India, April 9 -- Kimi Antonelli took the Formula 1 championship lead after winning the Japanese Grand Prix. The teenage rookie's emergence has come as a major threat to his teammate George Russell.

Antonelli became the youngest driver to lead the world championship standings. He secured back-to-back victories in the latest races in China and Japan. Russell now trails the nineteen-year-old by nine points in the title race. This sudden shift puts the veteran driver under massive pressure at Mercedes.

The W17 car currently dominates the grid after years of Mercedes' struggles. Russell held a brief lead after the season opener in Australia earlier. Everything changed when the rookie teammate started winning every major race session. The si...