Japanese Grand Prix Qualifying Results: Kimi Antonelli Storms to Pole as Verstappen Eliminated
The 2026 Japanese Grand Prix qualifying session delivered an unpredictable grid. From a massive upset in the Red Bull garage to a stunning display of dominance by Kimi Antonelli, the Suzuka Circuit lived up to its reputation as the ultimate test of man and machine. Antonelli Leads a Mercedes Front-Row Lockout Antonelli has officially arrived.
The young Italian phenom put together a blistering Q3 lap of 1:28. 778 to take pole position, beating out his highly experienced Mercedes teammate, George Russell. The W17 looks incredibly planted through the high-speed Ess curves, and Russell’s time (1:29.
076) ensured a dominant front-row lockout for the Silver Arrows. Behind the Mercedes duo, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri secured a fantastic P3 start. Meanwhile, his teammate Lando Norris pulled off a miraculous recovery.
After spending most of FP3 stranded in the garage with a catastrophic battery failure – and facing the looming threat of grid penalties for maxing out his allocated PU components – Norris wrestled his car into Q3 to secure a highly respectable P5, sitting just behind the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc in P4. Max Verstappen Eliminated The biggest surprise of the afternoon came during Q2, when reigning champion Max Verstappen was officially knocked out. The Red Bull Racing star could only manage a 1:30.
262, leaving him stranded in P11 and forcing him to start Sunday’s race from the midfield. Adding insult to injury for Verstappen, his teammate Isack Hadjar not only made it through to Q3 but qualified a brilliant P8, proving that the pace was genuinely in the Red Bull car. Verstappen will now have his work cut out for him to carve through the field.