- Antonelli takes consecutive poles as Mercedes dominates Suzuka qualifying.
- A Mercedes front row lockout while Max Verstappen exits in Q2.
- Mercedes sweeps the front row in Japan as rookie Lindblad stuns at Suzuka.
Kimi Antonelli claimed his second consecutive pole position at the 2026 Japanese GP, leading a Mercedes front row lockout at Suzuka as the Italian teenager continued his remarkable start to the Formula 1 season.
Oscar Piastri will line up third for McLaren, alongside Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, as the sport’s new generation prepares for what promises to be a fascinating Sunday in Japan.
It was a qualifying session that delivered drama at both ends of the timing sheet, from Ollie Bearman’s shock Q1 exit in a Haas that had looked top-10 material all weekend, to Arvid Lindblad’s stunning Q3 appearance in just his third Formula 1 qualifying session.
Max Verstappen’s troubled weekend deepened further; the Dutchman was eliminated in Q2 after describing his Red Bull as “undriveable.”
Q1: Bearman out as Mercedes hide their hand at Suzuka
The first phase of qualifying at the Japanese GP delivered early tension and a shock exit at Suzuka, as Charles Leclerc set the pace while several big names fell in Q1 on Saturday.
The session began under bright skies at Suzuka, with track temperatures dropping from 37°C to 31°C. While midfield teams rushed out, the frontrunners stayed in their garages, waiting for the circuit to improve before committing to their first laps.
That split approach shaped the session. It also set up a late scramble that caught out more than one driver.
Esteban Ocon set the early benchmark with a 1:31.466. Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson followed closely, just a tenth behind.
As the track improved, the order changed quickly. Oscar Piastri moved to the top with a 1:30.438, ahead of Lando Norris.
Then Leclerc took control. He went three-tenths faster and put Ferrari firmly at the front. Mercedes waited longer than anyone else. They stayed in the garage until eight minutes remained.
When they finally ran, Kimi Antonelli jumped to P1, just 0.043s ahead of Leclerc. But George Russell struggled on his first lap after a mistake in the Esses.
“Something doesn’t feel quite right,” Russell said over the radio. “I have a load of oversteer.”
Former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer offered a different view on the broadcast. “Mercedes is hiding a little bit right now, I would suggest, to be in the pack,” he said.
Leclerc soon responded. He improved again to go 0.120s clear of Antonelli. Lewis Hamilton followed, moving into third.
Russell recovered late. He climbed to second on used tyres, just 0.052s behind Leclerc. While the leaders traded fast laps, the real drama unfolded lower down.
Oliver Bearman was knocked out in 18th. The Haas driver had shown strong pace in practice, but a spin earlier in the weekend cost him vital preparation.
That lost time showed when it mattered most.
Franco Colapinto also fought to survive. He hovered near the cut line before improving late, but the margins stayed tight. In the final seconds, positions shifted again. Carlos Sainz and Alexander Albon improved, pushing others into danger.
When the flag fell, Bearman was out. So were Alex Albon, Sergio Perez, Valtteri Bottas, Fernando Alonso, and Lance Stroll.
Stroll finished last, more than four seconds off the pace. It marked a tough session for Aston Martin.
Q2: Lindblad stuns and knocks out Verstappen
The second phase of qualifying at the Japanese GP shifted the story from survival to surprise, as Arvid Lindblad broke into the top 10 and Max Verstappen dropped out in 11th after another troubled run.
Mercedes led the early charge this time. Kimi Antonelli headed out first and set the initial pace, going three and a half tenths quicker than George Russell, who again struggled with rear grip.
Charles Leclerc split the Mercedes pair, just 0.011s off Antonelli. It was a clear sign Ferrari had one car firmly in the fight.
While some teams ran early, others waited. McLaren held back, saving fresh tyres.
That choice paid off. Oscar Piastri went fastest by three tenths as soon as he hit the track.
On F1 TV, Jolyon Palmer pointed to the bigger picture. “The big teams still just trying to hold back all the new soft tyres they can,” he said.
Behind them, Pierre Gasly quietly moved ahead of both Red Bulls. Isack Hadjar and Verstappen sat in the lower half of the top 10, but neither looked secure.
Russell’s session never settled. A slide out of the final corner dropped him down the order on his first run.
“I think we are losing something here, we can’t have lost this much pace. Have a look for everything,” he said over team radio.
A switch to fresh tyres helped. He recovered to second, but still sat 0.316s behind Piastri.
Then Leclerc struck again. With two minutes left, he went fastest, 0.148s clear, tightening his grip on the session.
The final moments changed everything.
Lindblad, in just his third Formula 1 qualifying session, crossed the line at the last possible moment and jumped into P10. The lap pushed Max Verstappen out.
Palmer reacted instantly on commentary. “What a job from Lindblad. That’s astonishing to get into Q3 on a circuit he’s not known before coming here.”
Verstappen had no answer. He had already voiced concerns about the car, and after the session, he was blunt.
“I think there is something wrong with the car, mate, it was completely undrivable,” he said.
The exits came quickly after that.
Verstappen missed out in 11th. Esteban Ocon, Nico Hulkenberg, Liam Lawson, Franco Colapinto, and Carlos Sainz also fell.
Hulkenberg’s late mistake in the final sector ended Audi’s hopes. Colapinto missed Q3 by a narrow margin after scraping through Q1.
Q3: Antonelli claims back-to-back poles as Mercedes dominate Suzuka.
Kimi Antonelli stood at the front of the grid at Suzuka after securing back-to-back pole positions for Mercedes at the Japanese GP on Saturday. The Italian led a dominant front row lockout, while mistakes and missed chances reshaped the order behind him.
He delivered when it mattered. Others did not.
The final session began with both Mercedes cars leading the field out. From the first runs, the fight looked close.
Then Antonelli pulled clear.
He set a 1:28.778, three tenths faster than Russell. Most of that gap came in the middle sector, where the young driver found time others could not.
Palmer noted the confidence behind the lap. Antonelli “was quick here last year and is driving with confidence,” he said on the broadcast.
Behind them, Piastri took third. Lando Norris followed, with Leclerc and Hamilton trailing after both Ferraris lost time late in the lap.
Palmer pointed to the issue. “Both Ferraris lost about three tenths in the final sector. That’s got to be deployment. Used too much too early.”
The last runs brought tension but no change at the top. Russell gained time early but lost it again in the middle sector. Antonelli made a small error but held on.
Leclerc, last to start his lap, went quickest in the first sector. Then he lost the rear at Spoon and dropped to fourth.
Further back, Pierre Gasly beat Gabriel Bortoleto to seventh. Lindblad lost his final lap to track limits and settled for 10th.
Antonelli’s engineer, Bono, came on the radio. “Nice work, Kimi, pole position mate.”
The reply was brief. “Let’s go, I’m happy.”
Reaction from the top three
Kimi Antonelli said he was pleased with both the result and how the session unfolded. “I’m super happy with the session, was a good one, was a clean one,” he said after securing pole by 0.298s.
George Russell admitted Mercedes did not look strong at the start of qualifying but improved as it progressed. “We were fast all weekend, but at the beginning of Qualifying we were nowhere,” he said, before adding, “But the race is tomorrow, so all to play for.”
Oscar Piastri pointed to clear progress from McLaren but accepted they are not yet at Mercedes’ level. “This weekend we have looked good and executed well. We still don’t have the pace or grip to challenge Mercedes, but we are getting closer,” he said after finishing 0.354s off pole.
Final Classification for Japanese GP
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time / Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:28.778 |
| 2 | George Russell | Mercedes | +0.298s |
| 3 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +0.354s |
| 4 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +0.627s |
| 5 | Lando Norris | McLaren | +0.631s |
| 6 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +0.789s |
| 7 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +0.913s |
| 8 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull | +1.200s |
| 9 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | +1.496s |
| 10 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | +1.541s |
| 11 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | +1.214s (Q2) |
| 12 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine | +1.261s (Q2) |
| 13 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | +1.330s (Q2) |
| 14 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | +1.447s (Q2) |
| 15 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | +1.579s (Q2) |
| 16 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | +1.985s (Q2) |
| 17 | Alexander Albon | Williams | — (Q1) |
| 18 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | — (Q1) |
| 19 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | — (Q1) |
| 20 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | — (Q1) |
| 21 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | — (Q1) |
| 22 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | — (Q1) |
Kimi Antonelli and Mercedes stayed in control when it mattered most. They handled pressure better than anyone else and locked out the front row.
McLaren moved closer. Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris showed strong pace but still lacked the final step.
Ferrari had speed but made small mistakes. Charles Leclerc came close, but not close enough. One clean lap from the Italian driver decided the grid. Now comes the race on Sunday.
