Here is the starting grid for the Japanese Grand Prix: Kimi Antonelli once again leads the field – but watch out for McLaren and Ferrari.
An intense and closely fought qualifying session at Suzuka Circuit delivered the second pole position of the season and of his career for Kimi Antonelli, who placed his Mercedes on top with an outstanding 1:28.778 lap. The young Italian confirms the strong form of the Brackley team, which also secured second place with George Russell, completing an all-Mercedes front row.
But the battle behind is just as fierce: Oscar Piastri brought McLaren into third position, while Charles Leclerc finished fourth with a Ferrari that looked competitive, especially in race pace. Right behind them are Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton, confirming a top six separated by just a few tenths and ready to fight, particularly at the start.
Mercedes Ahead, But the Race Is Wide Open
Mercedes, as widely expected, once again proved extremely competitive in every sector, making the most of the energy management of the new 2026 power units. Antonelli controlled most of the weekend, finishing three tenths ahead of Russell — a margin that naturally fuels championship dreams among Italian fans.
However, McLaren appears to be improving significantly, thanks also to a better understanding of the new power unit software, while Ferrari continues working on a setup more focused on Sunday performance. Leclerc and Hamilton will start from the second and third rows, ready to take advantage of any opportunities in the opening laps.
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Tight Battle in the Midfield
Pierre Gasly also delivered an excellent qualifying session, finishing seventh with Alpine, ahead of the Red Bull of Isack Hadjar, the Audi of Gabriel Bortoleto, and the Racing Bulls of Arvid Lindblad, who complete the top ten.
Max Verstappen, however, was surprisingly knocked out in Q2, failing to improve and set to start from eleventh position, ahead of Esteban Ocon and Nico Hülkenberg. Further back are Liam Lawson and Franco Colapinto, who were unable to find the perfect lap unlike their teammates.
It was also a difficult qualifying for Williams, Cadillac, and Aston Martin, with the final rows occupied by Sergio Perez, Valtteri Bottas, Fernando Alonso, and Lance Stroll.
The Starting Grid for the Japanese GP
- Kimi Antonelli
- George Russell
- Oscar Piastri
- Charles Leclerc
- Lando Norris
- Lewis Hamilton
- Pierre Gasly
- Isack Hadjar
- Gabriel Bortoleto
- Arvid Lindblad
- Max Verstappen
- Esteban Ocon
- Nico Hulkenberg
- Liam Lawson
- Franco Colapinto
- Carlos Sainz
- Alexander Albon
- Oliver Bearman
- Sergio Perez
- Valtteri Bottas
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
The Suzuka race promises to be extremely competitive, with a start that could deliver plenty of action and Kimi Antonelli dreaming of his second career victory.
Photos: Formula 1
