Kimi Antonelli took his second straight pole for Mercedes at Suzuka, beating teammate George Russell. The session was marked by a shocking Q2 elimination for Max Verstappen and a disastrous qualifying for Aston Martin, setting up an unpredictable race.
Kimi Antonelli dominated qualifying for Mercedes at Suzuka, taking pole by nearly three-tenths. The shock of the session was Max Verstappen's Q2 elimination, with the Red Bull driver calling his car 'undriveable' and set to start 11th, ending his streak of four straight Japanese GP poles.
Mercedes phenom Kimi Antonelli seized pole at Suzuka, but the qualifying shock was Max Verstappen's failure to reach Q3. The result sets up a dramatic Japanese GP with the rookie on the front row and the champion mired in the midfield.
Kimi Antonelli took a commanding pole position for the Japanese Grand Prix, beating Mercedes teammate George Russell by nearly three-tenths of a second. The session was marked by Russell's ongoing struggles with car balance and a shocking Q2 elimination for Max Verstappen, setting up an unpredictable race at Suzuka.
In a major surprise at Suzuka, Max Verstappen was eliminated in Q2, marking his worst Japanese GP qualifying result in 11 years. He was beaten by teammate Isack Hadjar and missed the top-ten shootout, later reporting an undriveable car with rear instability.
Red Bull Racing, the six-time constructors' champion, is in an unprecedented crisis, sitting fifth in the standings after a terrible start. Max Verstappen has lambasted the uncompetitive and overweight RB22 car, which suffers from severe balance and tire-wear issues. The team's future performance hinges on urgent fixes during a crucial development period.
Mercedes heads into Japanese GP qualifying as the team to beat after Kimi Antonelli led a Silver Arrows 1-2 in final practice. The session will test if McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull can respond to the apparent pace of the Brackley squad at the demanding Suzuka circuit.
Oscar Piastri received only a warning from stewards after impeding Nico Hulkenberg in Suzuka FP3. The McLaren driver avoided a penalty by explaining he misjudged the closing speed while relying on his car's virtual mirror system, which he claims has an insufficient refresh rate for modern F1 speeds.
McLaren's Oscar Piastri is being investigated by the FIA for allegedly impeding Nico Hulkenberg's Audi during practice at the Japanese GP. The incident at the 130R corner, deemed 'dangerous' by Hulkenberg, could result in a penalty for Piastri ahead of qualifying.
Kimi Antonelli led a Mercedes one-two in final practice for the Japanese GP, setting the fastest lap of the weekend. The session was disrupted by traffic and incidents, with McLaren's Lando Norris losing time due to a technical issue, while Red Bull and Aston Martin appeared off the pace ahead of qualifying.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli led a Mercedes 1-2 in final practice for the Japanese GP, setting a strong pre-qualifying benchmark. Ferrari and McLaren followed, while Red Bull's Max Verstappen struggled down in eighth, and Aston Martin faced major issues at the back of the field.
Kimi Antonelli dominated Japanese GP final practice, leading a Mercedes 1-2 finish that left Ferrari's Charles Leclerc nearly a second behind. The session was marred for McLaren as Lando Norris faced another reliability issue, missing most of the running due to an ERS problem before completing limited laps.
