Japanese GP qualifying: Kimi Antonelli beats George Russell to Suzuka pole as Max Verstappen struggles to exit Q2 | F1 News

Kimi Antonelli entered a qualifying battle with Mercedes team-mate George Russell to claim his second consecutive pole position at Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix.

Carrying the momentum of his prix pole victory and the first race in China two days earlier, Antonelli had overtaken Russell in the final two practice sessions at Suzuka and used that impressive form to reach the qualifying stage.

Russell, meanwhile, reported repeated problems with his car’s rear grip and trailed Antonelli by unusually large margins in Q1 and Q2. Despite closing another gap in Q3, Antonelli’s best time of 1:28.778 in his first qualifying attempt still proved a comfortable 0.298s faster than his title-leading team-mate was able to run in the final.

“What a pumpkin! Three out of ten to his teammate George Russell – very, very impressive,” he said Sky Sports F1’s Jenson’s button.

“I feel we saw a different Kimi this weekend. He has been very fast but the consistency is there.”

The Mercedes drivers were suddenly challenged by McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in the first two stages of qualifying before the Silver Arrows came out on top from pole.

Piastri, however, continued his fine weekend to beat Leclerc into third, and fourth after a mistake at the Spoon turn in the middle sector in what looked to be a very promising last-ditch effort.

World champion Lando Norris, whose weekend was marred by unreliability in practice, was fifth in another McLaren with Lewis Hamilton sixth in the second Ferrari behind Leclerc all weekend.

There was a fresh disappointment for 2026 for Max Verstappen, who labeled his Red Bull “unstoppable” after retiring in Q2.

Having finished at Suzuka four years ago, Verstappen will start this year’s race from 11th place – three places down from team-mate Isack Hadjar, who made Q3 and took eighth – with the Dutchman struggling with the balance of the RB22.

Pierre Gasly beat both Red Bulls and took an impressive seventh in the Mercedes-powered Alpine, with Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto in ninth and British rookie Arvid Lindblad in 10th after the Racing Bulls driver was the one to beat Verstappen under the qualifying line in Q2.

But fellow Briton Oliver Bearman, one of the season’s top performers, crashed out of Q1 here to qualify 18th for Haas.

More to follow…

Japanese GP Qualifying Timesheet


The driver	The team	Time
1) Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	1:28.778
2) George Russell	Mercedes	+0.298
3) Oscar Piastri	McLaren	+0.354
4) Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+0.627
5) Lando Norris	McLaren	+0.631
6) Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	+0.789
7) Pierre Gasly	Alpine	+0.913
8) Isack Hadjar	The Red Bull	+1.200
9) Gabriel Bortoleto	Audi	+1.496
10) Arvid Lindblad	Racing Bulls	+1.541
Released in Q2
11) Max Verstappen	The Red Bull	1:30.262
12) Esteban Ocon	Haas	1:30.309
13) Nico Hulkenberg	Audi	1:30.387
14) Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	1:30.495
15) Franco Colapinto	Alpine	1:30.627
16) Carlos Sainz	Williams	1:31.033
Released in Q1
17) Alex Albon	Williams	1:31.088
18) Oliver Bearman	Haas	1:31.090
19) Sergio Perez	A Cadillac	1:32.206
20) Valtteri Bottas	A Cadillac	1:32.330
19) Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	1:32.646
20) Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	1:32.920

Japanese GP schedule for Sky Sports F1

Sunday March 29
4.30am: Japan GP build-up – Sunday’s Grand Prix*
6am: THE JAPANESE GRAND PRIX*
8am: Japanese GP Reaction – Checkered Flag*
9am: Ted book*

*Also live on Sky Sports Main Event

Formula 1 is at the famous Suzuka Circuit for the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports NOW – no contract, cancel anytime