Overview
- Kimi Antonelli claimed his second straight pole in Saturday's Japanese GP qualifying at Suzuka, leading teammate George Russell for a Mercedes one-two on the grid.
- Max Verstappen will start 11th after a Q2 exit, telling Red Bull his car was "completely undriveable" with rear instability and poor mid-corner turn-in.
- McLaren set the nearest challenge as Oscar Piastri qualified third, while Lando Norris recovered from practice battery problems to take fifth.
- The midfield picture shifted as Alpine's Pierre Gasly took seventh, Audi rookie Gabriel Bortoleto ninth, and 18-year-old Arvid Lindblad reached Q3 and knocked out Verstappen, while Haas's Oliver Bearman dropped out in Q1 in 18th.
- The result extends Mercedes' early-season edge after one-two finishes in Australia and China under new rules that split power roughly 50/50 between engine and battery and put a premium on careful energy use each lap.