Oscar Piastri looked strong during the Japanese Grand Prix and was in a good position to win before the safety car appeared.
He had already made his pit stop and was effectively leading the race when the crash of Oliver Bearman brought out the safety car.
This timing worked against Piastri, as Kimi Antonelli had not yet pitted and gained a big advantage by stopping under the safety car.
Because of this, Antonelli was able to move ahead and control the race, while Piastri dropped behind despite his earlier strong performance.
However, analysis shows the result was not fully certain, as Antonelli’s pace was also very strong and he could still have challenged for victory even without the safety car.
In the end, the safety car clearly changed the race outcome, but it remains unclear whether Piastri would have definitely won without it.
