JapaneseGP: Kimi Antonelli Storms to Back-to-Back Poles

Italian sensation Kimi Antonelli continues to rewrite the script of Formula 1’s new era after storming to pole position at the Japanese Grand Prix 2026, leading a dominant front-row lockout for Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team.

At the legendary Suzuka Circuit, the young star delivered a stunning lap of 1:28.778, securing his second consecutive pole following his breakthrough performance in China.

Antonelli looked sharp throughout all three qualifying sessions, but it was his first flying lap in Q3 that proved decisive.

Despite failing to improve on his final run, the Italian had already done enough to stay ahead of teammate George Russell, who secured P2 but trailed by 0.298 seconds.

This marks another statement performance from Mercedes, who are quickly establishing themselves as the team to beat in the early stages of the 2026 season.

The biggest surprise of qualifying came in Q2, where Max Verstappen was eliminated in P11, ending his dominant streak of pole positions at Suzuka.

The Red Bull driver reportedly struggled with a car that felt “undriveable,” leaving him with a mountain to climb on race day.

Elsewhere, notable exits included Esteban Ocon (P12), Nico Hulkenberg (P13), and Carlos Sainz Jr., who despite reaching Q2 for the first time this season, could only manage P16.

Oscar Piastri emerged as the closest challenger, placing third for McLaren in a strong showing.

Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc looked set for a front-row fight but suffered a costly snap of oversteer on his final lap, dropping him to fourth.

Behind them, Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton rounded out the top six, keeping both McLaren and Ferrari firmly in the mix for race day.

JapaneseGP: QUALIFYING TOP 10 (Q3)

Credit Photo : AMG