Mercedes
Kimi Antonelli claims pole position for Japanese Grand Prix
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Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli secured pole position for the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, outpacing teammate George Russell who will start second despite setup struggles. Antonelli's strong performance continues his impressive start to the 2026 season, where he sits just four points behind Russell in the standings. Team principal Toto Wolff acknowledged a backfired adjustment left Russell facing challenges into Sunday's race.
Kimi Antonelli topped the final practice session for Formula 1's Japanese Grand Prix, leading a Mercedes 1-2 ahead of teammate George Russell. The pair dominated FP3 at Suzuka by a significant margin over Ferrari and McLaren rivals. Qualifying follows at 3pm local time.
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Oscar Piastri set the fastest time of 1:30.133 in second practice for the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, beating Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli by 0.092 seconds on soft tires. George Russell was third for the constructors' leaders, with McLaren teammate Lando Norris fourth.
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur believes the upcoming FIA engine tests closing Mercedes' compression ratio loophole from 1 June will not significantly alter the balance of power. He views the ADUO mechanism as a better opportunity to close the gap. Vasseur emphasised that performance involves more than just the internal combustion engine.
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Mercedes has won the first two grands prix and a sprint race of the 2026 Formula 1 season, prompting questions about whether any team can challenge for both titles. A panel of Motorsport.com journalists offers varied opinions on the Silver Arrows' lead after races in Australia and China. While some see inevitable victory, others highlight potential threats from Ferrari and internal factors.
George Russell secured pole position for the Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix sprint race, leading teammate Kimi Antonelli in a Mercedes 1-2 during qualifying in Shanghai. The team outperformed rivals by over half a second, with Lando Norris in third for McLaren. Toto Wolff attributed the advantage to strong cornering performance from the team's 2026 car.
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Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has held discussions with client teams to address complaints about shared performance information. The move follows Mercedes' strong showings in recent qualifying sessions, including pole position for George Russell in the Chinese Grand Prix sprint race. Customer teams like McLaren and Williams had raised concerns over a knowledge gap from pre-season testing.
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