The starting grid for the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix has delivered major surprises, with Kimi Antonelli taking a sensational pole position at the legendary Suzuka International Circuit.
The young Mercedes driver produced a brilliant lap in qualifying, finishing 0.298 seconds ahead of teammate George Russell. The result secured a dominant front-row lockout for Mercedes, who looked comfortably faster than their rivals throughout the session.
Behind them, McLaren and Ferrari filled the next two rows, underlining their role as the closest challengers this weekend. Oscar Piastri impressed to take third for McLaren, while Charles Leclerc secured fourth for Ferrari.
The third row features Lando Norris in fifth and Lewis Hamilton in sixth, as both drivers aim to challenge the front-runners during the race despite not quite matching Mercedes’ pace in qualifying.
Further down, Pierre Gasly will start seventh for Alpine after a solid performance. He is followed by Isack Hadjar in eighth for Red Bull, while Gabriel Bortoleto and Arvid Lindblad complete the top ten for Audi and Racing Bulls respectively.
The biggest shock of qualifying came from reigning champion Max Verstappen. The Red Bull driver, who had dominated Suzuka qualifying in recent years, was knocked out in Q2 and will start 11th. It marks a dramatic drop in form and leaves him with significant ground to make up on race day.
Elsewhere, Esteban Ocon lines up 12th for Haas, ahead of Nico Hulkenberg in 13th for Audi. Liam Lawson starts 14th, with Franco Colapinto in 15th.
The lower grid sees Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon in 16th and 17th for Williams, while Oliver Bearman is 18th for Haas. Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas line up 19th and 20th for Cadillac.
At the back, Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll will start from the final row after a disappointing session for Aston Martin.
With Mercedes in control and Verstappen out of position, the stage is set for an unpredictable and thrilling race at Suzuka.