Overview
- Saturday’s qualifying at Suzuka put 19-year-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli on pole with a 1:28.778, his second straight pole two weeks after winning in Shanghai.
- Mercedes locked out the front row with George Russell second, while Oscar Piastri took third, Charles Leclerc fourth, Lando Norris fifth and Lewis Hamilton sixth.
- Max Verstappen was knocked out in Q2 and will start 11th after reporting a hard-to-drive Red Bull that did not gain from its new upgrade package.
- McLaren’s speed rebounded and Ferrari looked more competitive over longer runs than on one-lap pace at a circuit that rewards balance and careful energy use.
- The race starts Sunday at 7:00 a.m. in Italy on Sky Sport/Now with TV8 showing a delayed broadcast, and the calendar pauses through April before Miami in early May.