Back-to-back poles for Kimi Antonelli as Max Verstappen suffers Suzuka shocker at F1 Japanese GP
Kimi Antonelli claims second F1 career pole position at the Japanese Grand Prix.
Kimi Antonelli made it back-to-back pole positions in Formula 1 by edging out Mercedes team-mate George Russell in Japanese Grand Prix qualifying.
The 19-year-old Italian, who became the youngest driver to claim pole at the last race in China, topped qualifying for the second successive weekend as he outpaced Russell, who lacked confidence in the rear of his Mercedes, by 0.298 seconds.
Neither Mercedes could improve on their second laps of Q3, with Antonelli suffering a lock-up at the hairpin, while Russell, who lacked confidence in the rear of his car, lost time in the final sector.
It mattered not in the end for Antonelli, who secured pole to head Mercedes’ first front-row lockout at Suzuka since 2018.
"I'm super happy with the session. It was a good one, it was a clean one," Antonelli said of his second career pole.
"I felt very good in the car and every run I was improving and improving. A shame for the last lap because of a lock up at Turn 11 but it was a good one. I'm really happy with the session."
McLaren proved to be Mercedes’ nearest challenger for pole as Oscar Piastri grabbed third on the grid, 0.354s adrift of Antonelli’s benchmark time.
Charles Leclerc looked to enter the pole battle when he went purple in the first sector, only to lose at least three tenths with a snap in his Ferrari coming out of Spoon curve.
The Monegasque still improved his time and position to take fourth, as world champion Lando Norris’s McLaren found himself in the middle of a Ferrari sandwich ahead of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.
Alpine’s Pierre Gasly produced another brilliant qualifying lap to seal seventh on the grid as he outpaced the Red Bull of Isack Hadjar, who was 1.2s off the pace, and Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto in ninth.
Lindblad stars, Verstappen suffers early exit
F1 rookie Arvid Lindblad was one of the stars of qualifying on his first visit to Suzuka for Racing Bulls, having knocked out the sister Red Bull belonging to four-time world champion Max Verstappen on his way to 10th.
Verstappen will start only 11th after becoming the biggest scalp of qualifying after being eliminated in Q2.
The 28-year-old Dutchman, who has claimed the last four poles at Suzuka, complained there was “something wrong” with his Red Bull, branding it “completely undriveable” following his shock early exit.
Esteban Ocon placed 12th for Haas ahead of Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg, the Racing Bulls of Liam Lawson, Franco Colapinto’s Alpine and the Williams of Carlos Sainz, who ended up slowest of the Q2 runners.
Alex Albon could not join his Williams team-mate in the second part of qualifying after being dumped out in 17th, while Haas driver Ollie Bearman suffered a shock Q1 elimination with a time only good enough for 18th.
Sergio Perez beat team-mate Valtteri Bottas to take 19th as Cadillac outpaced Aston Martin in what was a shocking performance from the Silverstone-based squad at Honda’s home race.
Following his late arrival in Japan after becoming a father for the first time, two-time world champion Fernando Alonso was nearly three tenths faster than Aston Martin team-mate Lance Stroll, who was slowest of all in 22nd.
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