Summary of this article
Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli took pole for the Japanese Grand Prix 2026
George Russell joined him on the front row, cotinuing Mercedes’ early‑season dominance
Oscar Piastri (McLaren) and Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) start on row two, with Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton on row three
Defending champion Max Verstappen endured car problems and will start 11th
Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli secured pole position for the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix 2026 with a lap of 1:28.778 at Suzuka on Saturday. This comes just two weeks after Antonelli won his first race in China, continuing a breakout season for the young Italian driver.
Mercedes continued their early-season dominance as Antonelli’s teammate George Russell joined him on the front row. The British driver had earlier secured pole and won the season opener in Australia.
McLaren and Ferrari Follow
Behind the Mercedes pair, McLaren driver Oscar Piastri will line up alongside Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc on the second row. Row three will have Lando Norris start next to Lewis Hamilton.
McLaren has had a disrupted season so far. Neither of their cars started in China due to electrical issues, while Piastri missed the Australian Grand Prix after a pre-race crash. However, there’s a sliver of hope as both drivers secured competitive grid positions on the Suzuka grid.
Defending champion Max Verstappen endured a difficult session and will start 11th in the Japanese GP. The Dutch racer complained about car issues over team radio throughout the qualifying session, saying, “I think there is something wrong with the car, mate. It was completely undrivable.”
Sunday’s race is forecast to have similar weather conditions to qualifying, which saw clear, sunny conditions at the 5.8-kilometre Suzuka Circuit.
