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2026 Formula 1 Japanese GP
Mar 26, 2026 to Mar 29, 2026
| Suzuka, JP
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Formula 1 Japanese GP
F1 Japanese GP live commentary and updates: Qualifying
Follow along for updates from qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix
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02:11:36 am
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Yes, a personal best for Antonelli in sector one, purple in sector two, and another PB in sector three... 1m30.035s. That's 0.043s faster than Leclerc. More to come, then...
Interestingly, George Russell could 'only' summon a 1m30.631s which slots him into P5 ahead of Hadjar... but not for long because Hamilton goes 1m30.628s to leapfrog him. And then Nico Hulkenberg does a 1m30.542s!
Russell complaining of oversteer on the radio.
02:08:43 am
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Piastri is first of the usual frontrunners to essay a push lap. 1m30.438s for P1. Then Lando Norris arrives with a 1m30.676s – P2 until Lewis Hamilton demotes him with a 1m30.628s.
Then Charles Leclerc goes P1 with a 1m30.078s. Isack Hadjar pushes Norris down into what's now P5 with a 1m30.662s.
Now we await the Mercs...
02:05:37 am
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This means Lance Stroll is but a humble 2.942s off frontrunning pace in P10. Prepare for the drop...
02:05:03 am
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Now the frontrunners are starting to embark upon their out-laps. In the meantime, Esteban Ocon fastest for Haas with a 1m31.466s, 0.168s faster than Arvid Lindblad.
02:03:45 am
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Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren, Audi and Red Bull still in the garages. Amusingly, our timing screen is still showing Antonelli at the top even though he's sitting in the garage! CTRL-ALT-DEL please, FOM...
Green flag
02:02:11 am
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AND THEY'RE OFF
Anyhow, enough of this nonsense – Q1 is under way!
02:01:44 am
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Famously, of course, 1960s pop star Adam Faith's last words before he pegged it in hospital were to remark on the poor quality of the programming on Channel 5. "The crap they put on there…"
02:00:33 am
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For those who can't live without advance notice of who is presenting the Pirelli Pole Position Award, today it will be sumo wrestler Kotozakura.
Ah, the noble art of sumo! This author is old enough to remember when Channel 4 in the UK used to carry coverage of sumo wrestling in the early evening, instead of godawful teen soaps and reality TV shows.
Channel 5 is even worse, of course. Mrs C informed me during my absence during the Australia-China double-header that it was showing a programme entitled Britain's Best Mattress. As Alan Partridge would say, "Monkey Tennis"...
01:49:18 am
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It's been quite a fraught season for McLaren. The team insisted yesterday that there would be no repeat of the battery problems which meant neither car started the Chinese GP. Boss Andrea Stella was admant, in fact.
Not Adam Ant - that would make him a Goody Two Shoes...
But I digress. There was more woe for Lando Norris this morning when his entire ERS pack had to be changed, to he missed the first 40 minutes of FP3.
Lando Norris, McLaren
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images
01:39:07 am
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THE CROWN JOULES
Don't forget there's a new limitation on how much energy can be recovered through the lap in qualifying. Eight megajoules is the maximum, the reason being to reduce the amount of super clipping drivers will do through the lap – because, let's not make any bones about it, super clipping does nothing for the spectacle, especially when viewed from onboard cameras.
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01:34:32 am
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BEHOLD THE QUALIFYING HOUR
Welcome back to Suzuka, where most important session of the weekend so far is upon us. If you're in a different time zone from the circuit, let's catch you up with what happened in FP3...
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Pagination
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By: Stuart Codling
Published: Mar 28, 2026, 6:11 AM
Lap:
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