Kimi Antonelli heads Mercedes lock out at Japanese GP
28th March 2026Mercedes Kimi Antonelli has secured pole position for the Japanese Grand Prix, locking out the front row, alongside George Russell.
Feature image credit: Mercedes F1
Mercedes maintains their unbeatable qualifying performance in Japan after their young Italian, Antonelli, on the back of his record-breaking first pole position in China, has taken the top spot of the grid at the Suzuka circuit for the second-consecutive race weekend.
Additionally, it means the Silver Arrows have claimed their third consecutive front-row lock-out of the season, securing all of them since the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
It marks the German manufacturer’s 184th front-row lockout in their F1 tenure.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who is yet to start a grand prix this season, qualified third on the grid behind the leading Mercedes pair, finishing three-tenths off the pace.
It was initially running two-by-two inside the top six, with Mercedes leading the McLaren and Ferrari pairs. However, on the final runs of qualifying, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc broke the pattern as he claimed fourth place, demoting McLaren’s world champion, Lando Norris, down to fifth.
It now makes it a McLaren-Ferrari, McLaren-Ferrari, from third to sixth, with Piastri, Leclerc, Norris and Lewis Hamilton, respectively.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was the shock elimination in qualifying as last year’s pole sitter failed to make it out of Q2, besting 11th on the grid. The four-time world champion found himself over a second behind the pace of the leading Mercedes when the chequered flag fell in the second third.
Who qualified where?
22 – Lance Stroll, Aston Martin +3.005s
21 – Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin +2.731
20 – Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac +2.415s
19 – Sergio Perez, Cadillac +2.291s
18 – Oliver Bearman, Haas +1.175s
17 – Alexander Albon, Williams +1.173 // Q1 Cut-Off
16 – Carlos Sainz, Williams +1.985s
15 – Franco Colapinto, Alpine +1.579s
14 – Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls +1.447s
13 – Nico Hulkenberg, Audi +1.339s
12 – Esteban Ocon, Haas +1.261s
11 – Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing +1.214s
10 – Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls +1.541
9 – Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi +1.496s
8 – Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing +1.2s
7 – Pierre Gasly, Alpine +0.913s
6 – Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari +0.789s
5 – Lando Norris, McLaren +0.631s
4 – Charles Leclerc, Ferrari +0.627s
3 – Oscar Piastri, McLaren +0.354s
2 – George Russell, Mercedes +0.298s
1 – Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes 1m 28.778s
Read more Formula 1 here:
- Kimi Antonelli heads George Russell in final practice of Japanese GP
- Alexander Albon avoids punishment for causing collision at Japan GP
- George Russell pips Kimi Antonelli in Japanese GP FP1
- Japan Grand Prix Preview: Mercedes look to extend dominance in Suzuka
- Mercedes reveals new ‘livery’ for Japanese GP
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