Kimi Antonelli has beaten Mercedes teammate George Russell to secure pole position for the Japanese Grand Prix. The Italian delivered another composed performance as he set a 28.778 to go just under three tenths faster than Russell, as he looked to have the edge over Russell throughout qualifying.
Antonelli appeared to have gained confidence following his maiden Grand Prix pole and win in Shanghai; going into qualifying, he had topped FP2 and FP3. Russell, on the other hand, was compromised by issues with grip in Q1 and Q2, resulting in Antonelli, at one stage, being almost a second faster.
Antonelli’s superb time of 28.778 on his first attempt of the decisive shootout still proved a comfortable just under three-tenths quicker than his championship-leading teammate could go on his final run. The Italian took pole with his first attempt, after locking up at the Hairpin (Turn Eleven), where he lost time.
In Grand Prix qualifying in Shanghai, Russell was hindered by a technical issue, and there also appeared to be another issue in Q1. He reported, “Something doesn’t feel right.” Later, he added, “I think we’re missing something here. We can’t be lacking this much pace. Look at everything.”
The issue in Q1 then appears to have unsettled Russell for the remainder of qualifying. Russell was far from happy with how his session had gone, telling the team over the radio after lapping six tenths slower than Antonelli in Q2: “I think we’re missing something here… We couldn’t lose this much pace.”
But that didn’t stop Mercedes from locking out the front row for the third consecutive Grand Prix in 2026, with Antonelli and Russell each celebrating a race victory from pole position so far.
He had more than halved that deficit by the end of Q3 to comfortably secure a place on the front row, but admitted. “It was a really strange session for us. We were both very fast all weekend. We made some adjustments after FP3, and then at the beginning of qualifying, we were nowhere.”
Oscar Piastri had a much-needed boost, putting his McLaren third and at one stage leading Q2, but he was no match for Mercedes, with him six tenths behind Russell. Charles Leclerc put his Ferrari between the McLarens, the Monacan was just under three tenths behind Piastri, as he went four thousandths faster than Lando Norris.
Piastri goes into the Grand Prix looking to start the race for the first time this season, having crashed on his way to the grid in Melbourne and a power unit issue preventing him from starting in Shanghai. Norris has been on the back foot all weekend because of reliability problems on Friday.
Antonelli, who secures his second career pole position at Suzuka, said: “I’m super happy with the session, it was a good one, it was a clean one. I felt very good in the car and every run was improving and improving. It was a shame about the last lap because I locked up in Turn Eleven, but it was a good one as well. Really happy for the session, and I look forward to tomorrow.”
Russell, who starts on the front row in P2: “He [Antonelli] did a great job again. It was a really strange session for us. We were both very fast all weekend. We made some adjustments after FP3, and then at the beginning of qualifying, we were nowhere. So, we need to kind of understand.
Piastri, who starts third on the grid: “Qualifying has been OK. Nice to get into the top three this weekend. We’ve looked good, we did well. We clearly don’t have the pace or the grip to beat Mercedes still, but we’re getting closer.”
The world champion managed to split the Ferraris as he went over half a tenth ahead of Lewis Hamilton. Norris said, “I haven’t done any high-fuel runs; it’s definitely been a tricky weekend. I’ve been playing catch-up all the way, even into qualifying. I wouldn’t put today’s gap down to that alone, though.”
Pierre Gasly once again put his Alpine best of the rest, the French manufacturer has been vindicated by their controversial switch to Mercedes power unit, he was nearly three tenths faster than Isack Hadjar.
Hadjar’s teammate, Max Verstappen, admitted early on this weekend that a fifth consecutive win at Suzuka was unlikely, the four-time champion found himself knocked out in Q2, missing the cut by a hundredth and a half. Gabriel Bortoletto was ninth as Arvid Lindblad, having already knocked Verstappen out, put his Racing Bull four hundredths behind the Brazilian.
In Q2, Verstappen was a tenth and a half behind Hadjar who was tenth at that stage, once again complaining his Red Bull was “undrivable.” Verstappen went nearly half a tenth ahead of Esteban Ocon, with the Audi of Nico Hulkenberg nearly nine hundredths off.
Liam Lawson put his Racing Bull around a tenth and a quarter ahead of Franco Colapinto, and Carlos Sainz was slowest in Q2, four tenths off the Alpine. The Spaniard made it through to Q2, having gone four thousandths faster in Q1 than the Alpine, while teammate Alex Albon was over a tenth and a half slower.
The British-Thai driver was fastest of those knocked out in Q1 as he went just two thousandths ahead of fellow Brit Ollie Bearman, the Haas driver unable to get out of Q1 or SQ1 for the first time this season. Bearman, who is currently fifth behind the Mercedes and Ferrari in the drivers’, will start eighteenth.
Sergio Perez will start nineteenth, having gone just over a tenth ahead of Cadillac teammate Valtteri Bottas, with the two Aston Martins completing the field. Fernando Alonso going just under three tenths faster than teammate Lance Stroll.
