Qualifying Power Down, Mercedes Still Up, Locking in Third Straight 1-2 Start for the Japanese Grand Prix
Kimi Antonelli backs up his career first grand prix pole with a second one to lead Mercedes 1-2 start at Suzuka.
Mercedes Goes 3 for 3 in GP Front Row Lockup NurPhoto - Getty Images Mercedes dominate qualifying for the third grand prix in a row with Kimi Antonelli and George Russell on the front row for Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix, despite the FIA issuing a decrease in qualifying power. Days ahead of the weekend action at Suzuka, the FIA, all 11 teams, and the power unit manufacturers agreed to lower the maximum permitted recharging of power from 9 megajoules (MJ) to 8. This decision was made to "ensure that the intended balance between energy deployment and driver performance is maintained.
" The decrease in power did not significantly change the results, with Mercedes and Ferrari being the early, consistent front qualifiers, and nine of the ten drivers who appeared in Q3 this Saturday making at least their second start in the top ten across three grand prix and one sprint race. Antonelli followed up his first grand prix pole, becoming the new youngest driver with a pole position, with a second, beating his teammate's time by . 068 seconds.
George Russell qualified second for the second week in a row and will start alongside. Both McLaren drivers are set to start in the top ten for the first time in a grand prix this weekend, with Oscar Piastri qualifying third and still chasing his first start of the season. On his final flying lap, Charles Leclerc had his Ferrari ahead of Antonelli in the first sector before losing time at the end of the second sector, bobbling on the edge of control.
Leclerc's best time was good enough for a fourth-place starting spot alongside Piastri. McLaren's Lando Norris rebounded from missing more than half of FP3 to qualify fifth. The team found and identified an issue shortly before the start of final practice in the No.