Antonelli Takes Pole in Suzuka

Qualifying at Suzuka delivered one of the closest sessions of the weekend so far.

After three competitive practice sessions, the margins at the front were already tight — and qualifying only reinforced that. Across Q1 and Q2, the field remained closely packed, with several drivers separated by just tenths of a second. At a circuit like Suzuka, where precision is everything, even the smallest mistake proved costly.

By the time Q3 began, the fight for pole position centred around Mercedes, McLaren, and Ferrari.

In the final runs, Kimi Antonelli secured pole position with a 1:28.778, delivering the fastest lap of the session. George Russell followed in second with a 1:29.076, completing a Mercedes front row and confirming their pace throughout the weekend.

McLaren remained firmly in contention, with Oscar Piastri qualifying third (1:29.132) and Lando Norris fifth (1:29.409), split by Charles Leclerc in fourth (1:29.405). Lewis Hamilton placed sixth (1:29.567), keeping both Ferrari drivers within striking distance.

Further down the top ten, Pierre Gasly took seventh, followed by Isack Hadjar in eighth, Gabriel Bortoleto in ninth, and Arvid Lindblad completing the top ten.

Outside of Q3, one of the standout results came from Max Verstappen, who qualified eleventh, narrowly missing the final session — a surprising outcome given the pace seen earlier in the season.

Qualifying at Suzuka often determines much of the race outcome, with overtaking limited and track position crucial. With Mercedes locking out the front row and the rest of the field tightly grouped behind, the grid is set for a competitive start to the Japanese Grand Prix.