SUZUKA, Japan — It was a qualifying session full of surprises Saturday as Kimi Antonelli claimed pole position for the 2026 Formula 1 Aramco Japanese Grand Prix, leading a Mercedes front row with teammate George Russell in P2, while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen failed to reach Q3 and will start 11th — a shocker in his Suzuka resume.
Antonelli’s pole at the legendary Suzuka International Racing Course marked another big moment in a breakthrough season for the Italian, who’s already scored his first Formula 1 victory and continues to announce himself as a genuine contender — even on a track that has traditionally favored front‑row starters.
Russell, who leads the championship early in the season, will join his Mercedes teammate on the front row, giving the Silver Arrows an enviable starting position in Sunday’s 53‑lap race.
Behind the Mercedes duo, Oscar Piastri delivered another strong qualifying result in P3 for McLaren, proving the team’s recent upgrades are paying dividends. Charles Leclerc will start fourth, and Lando Norris rounds out the top five, keeping the mid‑field battle thrilling.
The biggest story, however, was Red Bull’s struggles — Verstappen, who has historically excelled at Suzuka, was eliminated in Q2 and will begin well outside the top ten. His teammate leapfrogging him into Q3 only added to the team’s woes on a weekend where they were once expected to contend at the front.
Sunday’s race — the third round of the 2026 season — will be watched closely after this shake‑up on the Suzuka grid. Starting from another front‑row lockout, Mercedes will be favorites, but strong qualifying results from McLaren’s Piastri and Ferrari’s Leclerc give fans plenty to watch for as the F1 calendar moves toward its early spring break.
This qualifying result rewrites some expectations heading into what should be a dramatic Japanese Grand Prix. Stay tuned — Suzuka rarely disappoints.
EasySportz stayed up through the night to bring you real-time coverage of the Suzuka circuit and Japanese GP. Goodnight, wheel lovers.
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