Japan - Qualifying

Suzuka is known for providing excitement and many surprises where Formula One is concerned. Thus, the excitement of the fans going into the third race weekend of the season was almost palpable. Everyone seemed to wonder the same thing: would Mercedes be able to get their third pole in a row, or would an unexpected contender interrupt their perfect run? 

McLaren has been looking quite good throughout the weekend, and they continued the run at the beginning of qualifying. Still, they were not quite enough to beat the rapid Mercedes. Kimi Antonelli finished the first flyers at the top of the standings, with his teammate only managing to reach P5. Despite the good first effort, the young Italian wouldn't stay in the lead as the session finished, having had his time beaten by Charles Leclerc. Meanwhile, at the bottom of the standings, the two Williams were desperately fighting to make it out of the elimination zone. Although Carlos Sainz managed to achieve the feat, the same could not be said about Alex Albon. He was eliminated in Q1, alongside Oliver Bearman, Sergio Perez, Valtteri Bottas, Fernando Alonso, and Lance Stroll. 

In the second session, it was Oscar Piastri who took the lead after everyone had completed their first flyers. He didn't get to stay in the position for long, surpassed by the ever-quick Leclerc. The Monegasque would stay on top until the very end of Q2. At the other end of the spectrum, Max Verstappen found himself in P10, on the verge of being knocked out. His last lap was good enough to temporarily get him out of the elimination zone, but he was ultimately pushed back into the bottom six by the only rookie on the grid, Arvid Lindblad. Esteban Ocon, Nico Hulkenberg, Liam Lawson, Franco Colapinto, and Carlos Sainz also did not make it through. 

When the time came for Q3, the Mercedes set an early benchmark, with the McLarens behind them and Ferraris following suit. Antonelli's run secured him the temporary pole, and it was up to his opponents to deny him the pleasure of starting at the very front for the second race in a row. Both Antonelli and his teammate, George Russell, went out relatively early on their second attempts, but neither improved on their times. The same remained true for everyone, save for Charles Leclerc, whose last attempt pushed him into P4. To the joy of all Mercedes fans, the young Italian snagged the pole, leaving the other drivers far behind. 

Order of the grid:

1. Kimi Antonelli

2. George Russell

3. Oscar Piastri

4. Charles Leclerc

5. Lando Norris

6. Lewis Hamilton

7. Pierre Gasly

8. Isack Hadjar

9. Gabriel Bortoleto

10. Arvid Lindblad

11. Max Verstappen

12. Esteban Ocon

13. Nico Hulkenberg

14. Liam Lawson

15. Franco Colapinto

16. Carlos Sainz

17. Alex Albon

18. Oliver Bearman

19. Valtteri Bottas

20. Sergio Perez

21. Fernando Alonso

21. Lance Stroll