Motoring News

Kimi Antonelli sealed back-to-back pole positions in 2026, this time ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix after beating Mercedes team mate George Russell.

Chris Medland picks out five key things to keep an eye on when the lights go out on race day at Suzuka.

Lando Norris admits he is satisfied starting fifth for the Japanese Grand Prix after a difficult weekend so far has meant the reigning World Champion has spent more time "watching the TV than driving in the car".

Charles Leclerc is hopeful that, with a “good start”, he and Ferrari can put the Mercedes cars under pressure in the Japanese Grand Prix, with the Monegasque starting from P4 after “pushing to the max” during Qualifying.

Oscar Piastri broke into the top three in Qualifying for the first time this season in Japan.

George Russell has shared an insight into the issues behind his “really difficult” Qualifying at the Japanese Grand Prix, with the Briton admitting that a small adjustment appeared to have “transformed” his car “for the worse”.

Kimi Antonelli came out on top in the battle for pole position at the Japanese Grand Prix.

Kimi Antonelli claimed his second consecutive pole position for the Japanese Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen admits that trying to tame his Red Bull car in Qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix "was again very difficult", having been eliminated in Q2.

Lando Norris is “playing catch-up” at the Japanese Grand Prix after the Formula 1 world champion was outqualified by McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri at Suzuka.
Norris will start Sunday’s race in fifth having qualified six tenths off Mercedes polesitter Kimi Antonelli, who was around four tenths ahead of third-placed Piastri.
Piastri has been a step ahead of his team-mate all weekend ...Keep reading

Onboard footage from the cockpit of Charles Leclerc's Ferrari has surfaced showing the Monegasque driver fuming following qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix. 
While Leclerc qualified fourth for the Japanese Grand Prix, he fumed over the team radio: "I can’t understand quali, it’s a f**king joke! I go faster in corners, throttle earlier, for f**k’s sake, I'm losing everything in the ...Keep reading

Two-time Formula 1 world champion Fernando Alonso feels Suzuka's driving challenge is "gone" with the 2026 regulations as they are.
The storied Japanese Grand Prix venue is a driver favourite with its challenging first sector Esses and its high-speed Degner and Spoon sequences. However, due to the energy saving demands of F1’s 2026 regulations, drivers are approaching those corners at lower ...Keep reading

Lewis Hamilton is worried that Ferrari will only regress in the Formula 1 pecking order once McLaren has fully understood the Mercedes engine in the MCL40.
Ferrari has been the closest challenger to the factory Mercedes outfit in the 2026 season, sitting second in the championship and 31 points behind the dominant Silver Arrows after two rounds.
It’s been a more troubled start to ...Keep reading

Former Formula 1 driver and Sky Sports analyst Karun Chandhok has claimed that Kimi Antonelli has had the "upper hand" over his experienced team-mate George Russell throughout the Japanese Grand Prix weekend so far.
The Italian driver secured pole position for the race at the Suzuka circuit, and Russell will join him on the front row with a P2 start.
"We have seen through the practice ...Keep reading

1



Kimi Antonelli(Mercedes)

 
 


 
 
 
 
 
2


 
 
 

 

George Russell(Mercedes)




3



Oscar Piastri(McLaren)

 
 


 
 
 
 
 
4


 
 
 

 

Charles ...Keep reading

Max Verstappen is at a loss with his Red Bull Formula 1 car after his Japanese Grand Prix qualifying ended as early as Q2.
The four-time world champion was ninth-fastest in the opening segment of qualifying and set the 10th-quickest lap early in Q2, 0.024s behind team-mate Isack Hadjar and 0.049s ahead of Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg.
Verstappen did improve by a tenth on his final run, but a ...Keep reading

Appearing on the Dale Jr. Download with NASCAR Hall of Fame Dale Earnhardt Jr., Scott Speed reflected on his racing career, from Formula 1 to NASCAR and later rallycross.
His F1 shot came about when Red Bull first arrived on the grid, and was searching for an American talent. 1985 Indianapolis 500 winner Danny Sullivan was a big part of the idea, with Speed saying, "They selected 16 of us ...Keep reading

Kimi Antonelli has stormed to pole position at the Japanese Grand Prix, the Italian following up on his maiden pole last time out in China to put himself at the front of the grid ahead of Mercedes team mate George Russell.

Live coverage of Saturday's Qualifying session for the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka.

Mercedes returned to the top of the times in Japan with Kimi Antonelli fastest during the final practice session at Suzuka Circuit.