Kimi Antonelli claimed pole position for the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka on Saturday, leading a Mercedes one-two finish with teammate George Russell. The 19-year-old Italian, who became the youngest pole-sitter in Formula One history two weeks ago in China, set a fastest lap of 1min 28.778sec to secure back-to-back poles.
Russell, the early championship leader, qualified second, 0.298 seconds behind Antonelli, while McLaren’s Oscar Piastri took third place on the grid. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc completed the top four. Mercedes have started the season strongly, achieving one-two finishes in both previous grands prix and once again showed dominance in the dry conditions at Suzuka.
Antonelli, who also won his first F1 race in China, described the qualifying session as “really clean,” though he acknowledged there is still work to be done on managing energy and pushing harder on larger circuits. “Overall, it was good fun,” he added.
Russell, who topped Friday’s first practice, struggled during qualifying, trailing his younger teammate in every session since. He admitted to difficulties with his car and said it was “not ideal” heading into Sunday’s race. “I’ve been comfortable all weekend, but in qualifying something didn’t feel right,” he explained, hoping to find solutions overnight and possibly adjust his driving style.
Meanwhile, Max Verstappen endured a disappointing qualifying session, exiting in Q2 and starting 11th for Red Bull. The four-time world champion, who has won in Japan for the past four years and took pole last year with a track record, criticized the new F1 regulations that balance conventional and electrical power, calling his car “undriveable.”
“The car doesn’t turn mid-corner and oversteers heavily on entry,” Verstappen said, describing the handling as unpredictable and difficult. He also mentioned unresolved issues without providing detailed explanations. Verstappen’s struggles follow a sixth-place finish in Melbourne and a retirement in Shanghai two weeks ago.
In a notable incident, Verstappen ejected a reporter from his Thursday news conference after a public confrontation. Behind the leaders, McLaren’s Lando Norris qualified fifth, followed by Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly. Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar was eighth, with Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto and Arvid Lindblad of Red Bull rounding out the top ten.
Piastri, who missed the first two races of the season, expressed determination to make an impact on Sunday after a “pretty well executed” qualifying session and fastest time in Friday’s second practice. “It’s nice to be closer,” he said, noting ongoing learning about the car and power unit.
Other notable eliminations in Q2 included Esteban Ocon of Haas, Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg, Red Bull’s Liam Lawson, Alpine’s Franco Colapinto, and Williams’ Carlos Sainz. Haas driver Ollie Bearman, who finished fifth in China, surprisingly failed to progress beyond Q3 and will start 18th.
Cadillac drivers Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas also exited in Q3, along with Williams’ Alex Albon and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. The Aston Martin duo, who have yet to complete a race this season due to severe vibration problems, ended the session at the bottom of the timesheets.
