Summary

  • Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli takes pole for Japanese Grand Prix

  • Russell second, Piastri third and Leclerc fourth

  • Norris fifth and Hamilton sixth

  • Max Verstappen to start 11th after being knocked out in Q2

  • Haas' Oliver Bearman out in Q1

  • Select audio icon tab for Sports Extra commentary (UK only)

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Live Reporting

Lorraine McKenna

  1. Alex Albon speaking to Sky Sports: "I'm not going to talk about it, we'll have a look at the data, I'm happy with my driving. There's a question mark still."

    "We're good in every corner, we'll see what happens."

  2. Elimination zone

    11. Nico Hulkenberg

    12. Esteban Ocon

    13. Arvid Lindblad

    14. Franco Colapinto

    15. Liam Lawson

    16. Carlos Sainz

  3. Alice Powell
    British racing driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    It feels like Albon might be blaming the team and they might be blaming him.

  4. Alex Albon has stopped by the media pen to speak to Sky Sports but the Williams driver is keeping his thoughts to himself when it comes to his cryptic radio message following his Q1 elimination. Albon will start 17th tomorrow, while Carlos Sainz is still in the fight at Suzuka, but the Spaniard is in the Q2 drop zone in 16th.

  5. Alice Powell
    British racing driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    Looking at Colapinto's pace in the last few sessions, he's at risk of elimination. Sainz, that Williams just doesn't have the pace. Looking through the rest of it, Lindbland and Lawson have been knocking on the door of the top 10 but I don't think they've got the pace. Gasly has looked strong in the Alpine. He might just sneak through into the top 10.

  6. Piastri goes to the top

    PiastriGetty Images

    Lando Norris places fourth on the board after his opening attempt on the soft compound. His team-mate Oscar Piastri is three places higher and 0.344 seconds quicker. Piastri is top and clear of the Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli by 0.323secs.

  7. Kimi Antonelli starts his flyer and puts down a time of 1:29.774 to go quickest ahead of the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc and the Audi of Gabriel Bortoleto. George Russell finishes his lap but can't challenge his team-mate or the Scuderia of Leclerc.

  8. Jennie Gow
    F1 pit-lane reporter at Suzuka

    Norris is now on his third battery, any more and he'll have to take a grid penalty.

  9. Alice Powell
    British racing driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    BearmanGetty Images

    That's surprising for Ollie Bearman. He's not looked strong all weekend but he's looked strong enough to go through into Q2. Plus, he had that spin in FP3 so he didn't get a proper running on the soft tyre. Something happened in that middle sector.

  10. Team radio - Albon to Williams

    Albon: "Where was I slow to Carlos?"

    Engineer: "You probably don't want to know. but you can probably guess."

    Albon: "Yes I complain for three races in a row that there's something wrong but I'm sure it's my driving style."

  11. Go! Go! Go!

    Charles Leclerc, George Russell and Kimi Antonelli were the top three cars in Q1. It's mediation time for Leclerc as he has his eyes closed sitting in the Ferrari cockpit, moving his steering wheel as goes through the lap.

    Q2 is green.

  12. Oliver Bearman has collected all of Haas' points so far this season but that Q1 elimination will be a disaapointment for the British driver. His team-mate Esteban Ocon makes it through to the next part of qualifying in 14th.

    Alex Albon is also out and he asked his pit wall why he is slower than to team-mate Carlos Sainz, who was 15th and into Q2. "You don't want to know," comes the reply.

  13. Get Involved

    Select 'Get Involved' at the top of this page to have your say

    MercedesGetty Images

    Pete: I'm not surprised the Mercedes is doing well. If it performs half as good as it looks, they will win the Championship.

  14. Out in Q1

    17. Alex Albon (Williams)

    18. Oliver Bearman (Haas)

    19. Sergio Perez (Cadillac)

    20. Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac)

    21. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)

    22. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)

  15. Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon find an escape route out of the elimination zone, dropping the Haas of Oliver Bearman into danger. Franco Colapinto is in the bottom six but can save his skin if he can bank a decent lap in the Alpine.

    And he does it. Colapinto's time is enough to knock out Albon at Suzuka.

  16. Drop zone

    17. Alex Albon

    18. Carlos Sainz

    19. Sergio Perez

    20. Valtteri Bottas

    21. Lance Stroll

    22. Fernando Alonso

  17. Russell up to P2

    RussellGetty Images

    That's more like it from George Russell as he steps over Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli and takes second on the timing screen, 0.052 seconds off the pace of Charles Leclerc.

  18. Leclerc goes top

    Gworge Russell has dropped to seventh n the timesheets as Charles Leclerc goes 0.120 seconds quicker than Kimi Antonelli to go top.

    The two Williams of Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz are in the bottom six along with both Aston Martins and the Cadillac pair of Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas.

  19. Team radio - Russell to Mercedes

    Russell: "Something doesn't feel quite right. I've got loads of oversteer."

    Engineer: "We can see the surface temperature is out of balance"

    Russell: "Really odd. It feels aerodynamical. No rear."

  20. Hulkenberg P6

    HulkenbergGetty Images

    Are Audi on for a decent points haul in Japan? Nico Hulkenberg is running in sixth place with Gabriel Bortoleto in 10th. German Hulkenberg was fifth, above Lewis Hamilton, but the seven-time world champion climbs to third place with his latest attempt on the soft compound.