Summary
Kimi Antonelli secured pole position at the Japanese Grand Prix by beating his Mercedes teammate George Russell in qualifying. Antonelli was consistently fast throughout the qualifying sessions, finishing 0.298 seconds ahead of Russell despite a mistake on his final lap. Oscar Piastri for McLaren and Charles Leclerc for Ferrari will start from the second row of the grid.
Key Facts
- Kimi Antonelli took pole position at the Japanese Grand Prix, his second in a row.
- Antonelli's fastest lap was 0.298 seconds quicker than teammate George Russell's.
- Oscar Piastri of McLaren and Charles Leclerc from Ferrari will start on the second row.
- Max Verstappen did not make it to the top 10 and will start 11th.
- Antonelli is emerging as a strong contender in the championship, just four points behind Russell.
- Charles Leclerc initially showed promise but lost time in a part of the track called the Spoon Curve.
- Lando Norris faced technical issues during practices but ended up fifth.
- The top 10 also included Pierre Gasly, Isack Hadjar, Gabriel Bortoleto, and Arvid Lindblad.
