For the second race in succession it’s teenage sensation Kimi Antonelli starting from pole. The Italian youngster dominated team mate George Russell in Qualifying, as Mercedes locked out the front row at Suzuka.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri came close to crashing the Silver Arrows' party, with the Australian third on the grid alongside the fast-starting Ferrari of Charles Leclerc. Their respective team mates, Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton, start fifth and sixth.
The experienced Pierre Gasly is P7, the Alpine driver heading a tight midfield pack, with Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar eighth and Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto’s ninth. Racing Bull’s rookie Arvid Lindblad completes the top 10, having knocked stablemate and four-time champ Max Verstappen out of Qualifying in the dying moments of Q2.
Starting Grid
FORMULA 1 ARAMCO JAPANESE GRAND PRIX 2026
| Pos. | Driver | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kimi AntonelliANT | 1:28.778 |
| 2 | George RussellRUS | 1:29.076 |
| 3 | Oscar PiastriPIA | 1:29.132 |
| 4 | Charles LeclercLEC | 1:29.405 |
| 5 | Lando NorrisNOR | 1:29.409 |
| 6 | Lewis HamiltonHAM | 1:29.567 |
| 7 | Pierre GaslyGAS | 1:29.691 |
| 8 | Isack HadjarHAD | 1:29.978 |
| 9 | Gabriel BortoletoBOR | 1:30.274 |
| 10 | Arvid LindbladLIN | 1:30.319 |
The 2026 Japanese Grand Prix starts at 1400 local time. Be sure to join our live coverage from 1300 here.
Next Up
Related Articles
UnlockedHill on winning the 1996 title & getting dropped by Williams
ExclusiveFornaroli on testing for McLaren and pushing for a race seat
Mercedes braced for a ‘more intense’ second half to 2026
Every trophy won in the 2026 F1 season so far
UnlockedAsk Lawrence Barretto a question in our exclusive reader Q&A
BettingWhich F1 driver has been most profitable in 2026?










