Kimi Antonelli continued his breakout start to the season by securing pole position for the Japanese Grand Prix, reinforcing Mercedes’ authority at Suzuka and strengthening his early charge in the 2026 F1 World Championship. The Italian backed up his maiden pole in China (the 50th pole of an Italian driver) with another clinical performance, delivering a 1m 28.778s lap in Q3 that proved untouchable—even without improving on his final run.
What To Know
- Kimi Antonelli takes pole for the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix with a 1:28.778
- Russell second, Piastri third and Leclerc fourth
- Max Verstappen to start 11th after being knocked out in Q2
- Haas’ Oliver Bearman out in Q1
Having looked composed throughout qualifying, Kimi Antonelli seized control of the session at the decisive moment, putting in a lap on his first Q3 run that ultimately defined the grid. George Russell could not quite match that benchmark, finishing 0.298s adrift to complete a Mercedes front-row lockout, while Oscar Piastri emerged as their closest challenger in third for McLaren.
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Ferrari showed flashes of pace but ultimately fell short of the front row. Charles Leclerc looked capable of challenging until a snap of oversteer on his final lap compromised his effort, leaving him fourth, just ahead of Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton in fifth and sixth, respectively.
See Also
2026 Japanese Grand Prix Qualifying Results
2026 Japanese Grand Prix Qualifying, 28 March 2026
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:30.035 | 1:29.048 | 1:28.778 | 15 |
| 2 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:29.967 | 1:29.686 | 1:29.076 | 21 |
| 3 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:30.200 | 1:29.451 | 1:29.132 | 20 |
| 4 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:29.915 | 1:29.303 | 1:29.405 | 18 |
| 5 | 1 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:30.401 | 1:29.795 | 1:29.409 | 20 |
| 6 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:30.309 | 1:29.589 | 1:29.567 | 20 |
| 7 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:30.584 | 1:29.874 | 1:29.691 | 18 |
| 8 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull Racing | 1:30.662 | 1:30.104 | 1:29.978 | 17 |
| 9 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | 1:30.359 | 1:29.990 | 1:30.274 | 20 |
| 10 | 41 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | 1:30.781 | 1:30.109 | 1:30.319 | 21 |
| 11 | 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 1:30.519 | 1:30.262 | 12 | |
| 12 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas F1 Team | 1:30.915 | 1:30.309 | 15 | |
| 13 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | 1:30.358 | 1:30.387 | 14 | |
| 14 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 1:30.657 | 1:30.495 | 15 | |
| 15 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 1:30.931 | 1:30.627 | 12 | |
| 16 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 1:30.927 | 1:31.033 | 15 | |
| 17 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 1:31.088 | 9 | ||
| 18 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas F1 Team | 1:31.090 | 9 | ||
| 19 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | 1:32.206 | 6 | ||
| 20 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | 1:32.330 | 9 | ||
| 21 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:32.646 | 9 | ||
| 22 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:32.920 | 9 |
Further down the top ten, Pierre Gasly delivered a strong performance for Alpine in seventh, followed by Isack Hadjar for Red Bull, Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto, and Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad in tenth.
The defining shock of the session came in Q2, where Max Verstappen was eliminated in 11th, bringing an end to his run of Suzuka pole positions stretching back to 2022. The Red Bull driver reported his car as “completely undrivable,” underlining the team’s struggles so far this weekend. He was joined on the sidelines by Esteban Ocon (12th), Nico Hulkenberg (13th), Liam Lawson (14th), Franco Colapinto (15th), and Carlos Sainz, who made his first Q2 appearance of the season but could go no further in 16th.
Q1 also delivered its share of surprises. Oliver Bearman exited in 18th after failing to hook up a competitive lap, finishing behind Alex Albon. Both Cadillac entries of Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas were eliminated in 19th and 20th, respectively, while Aston Martin endured a difficult session with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll completing the grid at the back.
2026 Japanese Grand Prix Starting Grid
The Grand Prix starting grid, with or without penalties, after the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix Qualifying session.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:28.778 | 15 |
| 2 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:29.076 | 21 |
| 3 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:29.132 | 20 |
| 4 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:29.405 | 18 |
| 5 | 1 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:29.409 | 20 |
| 6 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:29.567 | 20 |
| 7 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:29.691 | 18 |
| 8 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull Racing | 1:29.978 | 17 |
| 9 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | 1:30.274 | 20 |
| 10 | 41 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | 1:30.319 | 21 |
| 11 | 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 1:30.262 | 12 |
| 12 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas F1 Team | 1:30.309 | 15 |
| 13 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | 1:30.387 | 14 |
| 14 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 1:30.495 | 15 |
| 15 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 1:30.627 | 12 |
| 16 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 1:31.033 | 15 |
| 17 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 1:31.088 | 9 |
| 18 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas F1 Team | 1:31.090 | 9 |
| 19 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | 1:32.206 | 6 |
| 20 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | 1:32.330 | 9 |
| 21 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:32.646 | 9 |
| 22 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:32.920 | 9 |
Race Guide
Season: 2026 F1 World Championship
Race weekend: 27 March 2026 – 29 March 2026
Race date: Sunday, 29 March 2026
Race start time: 14:00 local time
Circuit: Suzuka International Racing Course
Laps: 53
Circuit length: 5.807km
2025 winner: Max Verstappen
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