Antonelli storms to pole in Suzuka from Russell and Piastri
- Meghana Sree
- 3 hours ago
- 4 min read
Kimi Antonelli took a second consecutive career pole with George Russell making it a Mercedes 1-2 despite struggling throughout the session, while Oscar Piastri completes the top three for the Japanese Grand Prix's starting grid.
Following three eventful practice sessions all topped by different drivers, the field geared up for the first competitive session around Suzuka this year.
Kimi Antonelli took his second pole in a row as George Russell struggled to match his Italian teammate's pace after complaining of lack of rear grip throughout the session, while Oscar Piastri managed to maintain his edge over the two Ferraris who showed late pace but were ultimately unable to maximise their potential.
Here's how a tight qualifying session in Suzuka panned out.
Q1 — The usual suspects eliminated
The Racing Bulls pair were the first to head out, with Arvid Lindblad inching ahead of Liam Lawson by a tenth. Both cars were then pipped by Esteban Ocon in the Haas.
As the frontrunners completed their first runs, FP1 topper Oscar Piastri found himself first, then replaced by Charles Leclerc with a 1:30.078.
With 10 minutes to go, both Cadillacs, Aston Martins and Mercedes found themselves occupying the dropzone, with Carlos Sainz and Oliver Bearman at risk after the Mercedes pair completed their runs to jump into the top five.
Kimi Antonelli set the quickest time, just as Nico Hülkenberg set a solid lap that took him to fifth, displacing George Russell.
Russell meanwhile seemed to be struggling, conveying over the radio: “Something doesn't feel quite right, I have a load of oversteer.”
Meanwhile, Leclerc was on a blistering lap that took us into the 1:29s for the first time this session.
With under five minutes to go, the bottom six saw the usual suspects of both Williams, both Cadillacs and both Aston Martins.
The final runs of Q1 were being made, with both Red Bulls and Russell opting to go again. Max Verstappen improved on his previous lap time, but could only make it to seventh, after Russell slotted into second ahead of Antonelli.
Alex Albon set out on a flying lap, hoping to make it to the next stage, as Sainz managed to edge into 13th, while Albon narrowly made it into the top 16 but still found himself at risk with Franco Colapinto on a push lap.
Meanwhile, the rising star of the opening rounds, Oliver Bearman, found himself occupying the elimination zone too after not being able to make it through on his final lap.
Over at Williams, tension began to brew as Colapinto knocked out Albon, while Sainz went through to the next stage of qualifying. The frustrated Thai driver inquired where he’d lost time to Sainz, to which the team replied that he knew where, Albon then drily stating: “I complain for three races in a row that there’s something wrong, but I’m sure that it’s my driving style.”
Q1 Eliminations
Alex Albon
Oliver Bearman
Sergio Pérez
Valtteri Bottas
Fernando Alonso
Lance Stroll
Q2 — A champion knocked out by a rookie
Mercedes and Ferrari were the first to head out as the green light illuminated at the end of the pitlane, all four cars on used soft tyres.
Meanwhile, Piastri bolted on a new set of softs, quickly setting the fastest lap time ahead of Antonelli and Leclerc. Lando Norris also went out on the new tyres, but set a slower pace than his Australian teammate, no doubt experiencing the setback of sitting out much of the practice sessions having been plagued by reliability gremlins.
Another driver struggling relative to his teammate was surprisingly Russell, who went wide through the final corner on his first Q2 lap and complained of still struggling with the rear grip.
With under five minutes to go, Leclerc set his first Q2 lap on fresh softs, going quicker than the rest of the field, while Lewis Hamilton was unable to match his teammate on the same set, finding himself in sixth.
Hülkenberg, Ocon, Lindblad, Colapinto, Lawson and Stroll were the occupants of the elimination zone, with Verstappen at risk in 10th.
As the final seconds ticked down, none of the drivers in the bottom six were able to improve into the top 10 apart from Lindblad, who astonishingly knocked out Verstappen in the senior team, the Dutchman complaining of the car being completely undriveable.
The British rookie had a rocky Friday, but on his first visit to Suzuka, edged ahead of both Verstappen and his teammate Lawson who has more experience around this track.
Q2 Eliminations
Max Verstappen
Esteban Ocon
Nico Hülkenberg
Liam Lawson
Franco Colapinto
Carlos Sainz
Q3 — Antonelli clears Russell, McLaren vs Ferrari
As the count began for the final part of qualifying, the Mercedes pair were the first to head out once more, the Italian rookie setting an electric 1:28.778 while Russell fell short of his teammate.
Meanwhile, Piastri climbed up to third, three tenths behind Russell, with Norris, Leclerc and Hamilton completing the top six — the Ferrari pair both losing pace in the immediate jump from Q2 to Q3.
With two minutes left, the field set off on their out laps, as Antonelli took to attacking the track first once more. It was now a straight fight between the Mercedes pair, but Russell once again was unable to match the young Italian’s pace, two tenths off the provisional polesitter.
Antonelli then took his second career pole with ease as neither the McLarens nor the Ferraris were able to put up a fight, Piastri settling for third and Leclerc managing fourth ahead of Norris and Hamilton.
Gasly once again outqualified the sole remaining Red Bull of Isack Hadjar, while Bortoleto and Lindblad completed the top 10 for the Japanese Grand Prix qualifying.
Japanese Grand Prix Starting Grid
Kimi Antonelli
George Russell
Oscar Piastri
Charles Leclerc
Lando Norris
Lewis Hamilton
Pierre Gasly
Isack Hadjar
Gabriel Bortoleto
Arvid Lindblad
Max Verstappen
Esteban Ocon
Nico Hülkenberg
Liam Lawson
Franco Colapinto
Carlos Sainz
Alex Albon
Oliver Bearman
Sergio Pérez
Valtteri Bottas
Fernando Alonso
Lance Stroll
Comments