29 March 2026 16:00
Alpine may have been a clear backmarker in the 2025 Formula 1 season while the world drivers’ title narrowly eluded Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, but three rounds into the 2026 campaign, the two teams are neck and neck.
With Pierre Gasly beating Verstappen to seventh under the chequered flag in the Japanese Grand Prix, both teams have scored 16 points, but Alpine is ranked ahead on ...
29 March 2026 15:15
Oscar Piastri labelled the Japanese Grand Prix as ‘one of his best weekends in Formula 1’ after claiming his first podium of the 2026 campaign.
The McLaren driver finished runner-up to Mercedes championship leader Kimi Antonelli at Suzuka on Sunday, having enjoyed a brilliant getaway from third on the grid.
That put him in the lead on lap one and it was only because of the lap 23 safety ...
29 March 2026 14:30
Haas Formula 1 team principal Ayao Komatsu has absolved Franco Colapinto of any blame after Oliver Bearman crashed out of the Japanese Grand Prix.
After qualifying a lowly 18th and making an earlier pitstop than most, Bearman was battling Colapinto for 17th when he lost control at 306km/h coming into Spoon, crashing his Haas car with a 50G impact. The young Briton hobbled out of his car and was ...
29 March 2026 13:48
At Suzuka, the yo-yo effect was slightly less extreme than during the season opener in Melbourne, although the overall picture still did not satisfy all of the drivers. Lando Norris ultimately crossed the line in fifth place and saw that – together with Oscar Piastri’s strong showing – as a sign that McLaren is making significant progress.
The racing as a whole, however, left the reigning ...
29 March 2026 13:07
Winner: Kimi Antonelli
Few people would have bet against a Mercedes driver leading the standings after the opening leg of the season. But even fewer people would have gambled on Kimi Antonelli as Mercedes' lead driver three weekends into the season.
Of course, there are various factors behind Antonelli getting ahead of team-mate George Russell, but the young Italian won't and shouldn't care ...
29 March 2026 13:01
McLaren's "massive step forward" in performance during the Japanese Grand Prix proved that the Woking outfit has the pace to "hang on", according to former Formula 1 driver and Sky Sports analyst Karun Chandhok.
Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris brought home a double-points finish for McLaren with a second and fifth-place finish, respectively. This came after a torrid start to the season for ...
29 March 2026 12:25
The safety implications of Formula 1's new technical regulations have rocketed to the top of the agenda after Oliver Bearman's massive accident in the Japanese Grand Prix. The Haas driver had been a second behind Franco Colapinto on their 21st lap when the gap narrowed suddenly and unexpectedly because of a huge difference in electrical boost as they approached the Spoon corner.
It's understood ...
29 March 2026 12:17
Following an interesting Japanese Grand Prix won by the impressive Kimi Antonelli, the podium sitters retreated to the calm of the cooldown room. With the Italian sat beside Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri, they watched Ollie Bearman's violent crash as he swerved to avoid a slow Franco Colapinto.
The trio reacted in unison as they watched the replay of the Haas hitting the barriers in what ...
29 March 2026 11:23
George Russell was left frustrated by the bad luck he has recently endured after losing his Formula 1 championship lead at the Japanese Grand Prix.
The Mercedes driver enjoyed the perfect start to 2026 by winning the Melbourne opener and Shanghai sprint, but team-mate Kimi Antonelli has since taken a nine-point advantage following victories at the Chinese and Japanese grands prix.
It’s ...
29 March 2026 11:04
During the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix, Formula 1 fans laughed as Max Verstappen seemingly became more and more frustrated with the championship's current regulations. As Alpine's Pierre Gasly breezed past him on the start-finish straight of Suzuka, the four-time champion simply waved him by.
The lack of performance came from the fact that the Dutchman had already depleted his car's electrical ...
29 March 2026 11:00
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has revealed that a software "bug" in the electrical system of George Russell's W17 was to blame for the Briton losing a position to Ferrari's Charles Leclerc during the Japanese Grand Prix.
While the Brackley outfit celebrated another victory at the Suzuka circuit with Kimi Antonelli, Russell's race was mixed. In addition to losing out by pitting one lap ...
29 March 2026 10:50
Isack Hadjar has claimed his Red Bull Formula 1 car was undriveable to the point that it was dangerous in the Japanese Grand Prix.
Having qualified eighth at Suzuka, Hadjar lost three places in the first two laps, which “really sucked”, on his way to a 12th-place finish.
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Formula 1F1 Japanese GP: Safety car helps Kimi Antonelli to victory
Asked about ...
29 March 2026 10:36
Following a successful 2026 Japanese Grand Prix for his young driver Kimi Antonelli, Toto Wolff was in high spirits as he discussed the meteoric rise of the Italian sensation. Talking with Sky Sports F1, the Austrian jokingly accepted the title of "genius" from pundit Natalie Pinkham.
When reminded of Antonelli's surprisingly steep trajectory at such a young age, the Mercedes chief reflected on ...
29 March 2026 10:23
Taking a leaf out of Carlos Sainz's book, Mercedes' George Russell added a custom sticker to his helmet for the Japanese Grand Prix, created by a young fan named Sogo.
The sticker, positioned prominently on the rear of the British driver's helmet, featured a holographic-style illustration of Russell alongside his self-proclaimed number one Japanese fan doing the now-famous T pose.
Sogo had ...
29 March 2026 09:59
Franco Colapinto reckons the closing speeds in Formula 1 in 2026 can become “really dangerous” after Oliver Bearman’s 50G crash at the Japanese Grand Prix.
The Haas driver was approximately one second behind Colapinto through Suzuka’s sector two, before suddenly closing at Spoon as the Alpine was harvesting energy to replenish its battery on lap 22.
Bearman was forced into evasive ...
29 March 2026 09:27
McLaren's Oscar Piastri might have been named "Driver of the Day" in Formula 1's official vote after the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix, but who do you think was the best driver in the season opener?
The Australian finished second in his first race start of 2026, just behind new F1 championship leader Kimi Antonelli. Behind them, there were impressive scraps from the likes of Charles Leclerc, Lando ...
29 March 2026 09:14
With his second consecutive Formula 1 victory, Kimi Antonelli pulled off a masterful move at the end of the Japanese Grand Prix. Taking advantage of George Russell’s failure to finish on the podium, the Italian became the youngest driver in history to lead the world championship, with a nine-point lead that he will carry into the entire month of April.
Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton are ...
29 March 2026 09:09
KitKat, which has been a partner of Formula 1 since the start of the 2025 season, has confirmed that 12 tonnes of the F1 KitKat chocolate bars were stolen during transit in Europe.
The chocolate brand told AFP, "A truck transporting 413,793 units of its new chocolate range has been stolen during transit in Europe.
"We've always encouraged people to have a break with KitKat. But it seems ...
29 March 2026 09:08
Drivers' Championship after the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix
Pos.
Driver
Points
1
K. AntonelliMercedes
72
18/2
29
25/1
2
G. RussellMercedes
63
25/1
26
12/4
3
C. LeclercFerrari
49
15/3
19
15/3
4
L ...
29 March 2026 08:49
Antonelli confirms F1 title ambitions - Jose Carlos de Celis
George Russell seemed destined to win the championship with relative ease this year following Mercedes’ strong start under the new 2026 F1 rules. But suddenly, his team-mate Kimi Antonelli has earned the right to be considered, at the very least, a contender for the title.
The Italian, who already took a record pole in China and ...
29 March 2026 08:47
Kimi Antonelli took a somewhat fortunate Formula 1 victory in the Japanese Grand Prix, as a safety car intervention vaulted him ahead of early frontrunners Oscar Piastri and George Russell.
As was the case in the previous two rounds, the Ferraris took an excellent getaway, but this time it wasn’t enough to take the lead as the McLarens were just as quick off the line. Piastri went first ahead ...
29 March 2026 08:12
Haas Formula 1 driver Ollie Bearman crashed out of the Japanese Grand Prix.
The safety car was deployed after the Briton crashed into the barriers at Spoon Curve on Lap 22. Bearman was seen limping away from the wreck and sitting at the side of the track surrounded by marshals before heading to the medical centre.
Haas has since confirmed that the driver didn't sustain a fracture ...
28 March 2026 23:26
Former Formula 1 driver David Coulthard has urged George Russell to "assert himself" within Mercedes after his team-mate Kimi Antonelli secured his maiden F1 win at the Chinese Grand Prix.
Russell currently leads the drivers' championship with 51 points, but his team-mate follows just four points behind him in second. After Mercedes had a dominant start to the season, Russell quickly became the ...
28 March 2026 22:58
Jos Verstappen has called out the new Formula 1 regulations, which have been introduced into the championship in 2026.
Verstappen Sr, father of four-time champion Max Verstappen, claimed that while the racing has been more chaotic, "it has nothing to do with racing".
The new regulations feature an almost 50:50 split between internal combustion and electric power, active aerodynamics ...
28 March 2026 22:42
Jenson Button does not think that Max Verstappen's endurance racing will help change his opinion of the new Formula 1 regulations.
The 2026 F1 season has welcomed a new wave of regulations for the championship. Verstappen has been upfront with his thoughts on the new-regulation cars, which feature an almost 50:50 split between internal combustion and electric power.
Initially describing the ...
28 March 2026 17:14
Cadillac beat Aston Martin to 19th and 20th on the grid of Formula 1’s Japanese Grand Prix, on a tricky weekend for Sergio Perez.
Perez was the faster Cadillac driver on Saturday, with a 1m32.206s putting him 0.440s ahead of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, albeit 1.1s away from 18th-placed Oliver Bearman and 1.3s down on the Q2 cut-off time.
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28 March 2026 17:07
Formula 1 fans have applauded Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad after an impressive qualifying session for the Japanese Grand Prix.
The Briton managed to get through to Q3, knocking out four-time champion Max Verstappen, and will start the race at the Suzuka circuit from 10th on the grid.
F1 later released onboard footage showing the rookie patting his car and touching his head to the ...
28 March 2026 16:26
If qualifying is supposed to be the ultimate test of driver skill and all-out car performance, then F1's Saturday afternoons are far removed from that axiom.
The 2026 power unit compromises which have yielded some action-packed racing so far have also destroyed the essence of qualifying - at least for now, as F1 has a couple of weeks to figure itself out before May's Miami Grand Prix amid ...
28 March 2026 16:05
Isack Hadjar revealed that Red Bull is bemused by the struggles it is facing at the Japanese Grand Prix as the Austrian outfit has regressed into the Formula 1 midfield.
Red Bull’s new-for-2026 signing will start Sunday’s race at Suzuka in eighth, having qualified 1.2s off polesitter Kimi Antonelli though it was even worse for team-mate Max Verstappen.
The four-time world champion ...
28 March 2026 14:50
Fernando Alonso has revealed he had “nearly no vibrations” from his Aston Martin’s Honda Formula 1 engine on Friday at the Japanese Grand Prix, only for those to reoccur today.
Aston Martin and Honda have endeavoured to lessen crippling vibrations from their new engine, which damage batteries and spark driver health concerns.
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Formula 1Why Honda can’t solve the ...
28 March 2026 13:57
Former Formula 1 driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen has shared a pointed message on social media, seemingly aimed at four-time champion Max Verstappen.
"If you lose your motivation in F1, it's better to quit, or at least take a break. That's what I did. The sport is too dangerous if you lose your focus," the ex-Sauber driver posted.
While it is not stated who the message is aimed at ...
28 March 2026 13:35
Max Verstappen is openly reconsidering his future in Formula 1, after another tricky qualifying session at the Japanese Grand Prix.
The Red Bull driver was narrowly eliminated in Q2 at Suzuka, compounding his discontent after he expressed unabashed aversion towards F1’s new regulations.
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Formula 1Max Verstappen: “I'm not even frustrated anymore, I'm beyond ...
28 March 2026 13:12
2009 Formula 1 champion Jenson Button has backed George Russell to be able to handle the intra-team battle at Mercedes.
The Brackley outfit has had a dominant start to the 2026 season, winning both the Australian and Chinese Grands Prix and the Chinese sprint race. While Russell claimed the victory in Australia as well as in the sprint race, his team-mate Kimi Antonelli sits just four points ...
28 March 2026 12:20
McLaren team chief Andrea Stella has discussed the possibility of the Woking outfit challenging Ferrari for a spot on the podium at the Japanese Grand Prix.
After a disastrous start to the season, which resulted in only one grand prix start from Lando Norris at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, McLaren saw a step forward at the Suzuka circuit.
Oscar Piastri, who is yet to start a ...
28 March 2026 12:19
Max Verstappen has explained why he dismissed a British newspaper journalist from his press conference in Japan, as his Red Bull Formula 1 team is keen to clear the air over the incident.
In his Thursday session, Verstappen expelled a journalist who at the 2025 Abu Dhabi finale asked whether he regretted his red mist clash with George Russell in Barcelona last June.
It resulted in a 10s ...
28 March 2026 11:00
Lando Norris is “playing catch-up” at the Japanese Grand Prix after the Formula 1 world champion was outqualified by McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri at Suzuka.
Norris will start Sunday’s race in fifth having qualified six tenths off Mercedes polesitter Kimi Antonelli, who was around four tenths ahead of third-placed Piastri.
Piastri has been a step ahead of his team-mate all weekend ...
28 March 2026 10:42
Onboard footage from the cockpit of Charles Leclerc's Ferrari has surfaced showing the Monegasque driver fuming following qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix.
While Leclerc qualified fourth for the Japanese Grand Prix, he fumed over the team radio: "I can’t understand quali, it’s a f**king joke! I go faster in corners, throttle earlier, for f**k’s sake, I'm losing everything in the ...
28 March 2026 10:30
Two-time Formula 1 world champion Fernando Alonso feels Suzuka's driving challenge is "gone" with the 2026 regulations as they are.
The storied Japanese Grand Prix venue is a driver favourite with its challenging first sector Esses and its high-speed Degner and Spoon sequences. However, due to the energy saving demands of F1’s 2026 regulations, drivers are approaching those corners at lower ...
28 March 2026 09:55
Lewis Hamilton is worried that Ferrari will only regress in the Formula 1 pecking order once McLaren has fully understood the Mercedes engine in the MCL40.
Ferrari has been the closest challenger to the factory Mercedes outfit in the 2026 season, sitting second in the championship and 31 points behind the dominant Silver Arrows after two rounds.
It’s been a more troubled start to ...
28 March 2026 09:45
Former Formula 1 driver and Sky Sports analyst Karun Chandhok has claimed that Kimi Antonelli has had the "upper hand" over his experienced team-mate George Russell throughout the Japanese Grand Prix weekend so far.
The Italian driver secured pole position for the race at the Suzuka circuit, and Russell will join him on the front row with a P2 start.
"We have seen through the practice ...
28 March 2026 09:06
1
Kimi Antonelli(Mercedes)
2
George Russell(Mercedes)
3
Oscar Piastri(McLaren)
4
Charles ...
28 March 2026 09:00
Max Verstappen is at a loss with his Red Bull Formula 1 car after his Japanese Grand Prix qualifying ended as early as Q2.
The four-time world champion was ninth-fastest in the opening segment of qualifying and set the 10th-quickest lap early in Q2, 0.024s behind team-mate Isack Hadjar and 0.049s ahead of Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg.
Verstappen did improve by a tenth on his final run, but a ...
28 March 2026 08:55
Appearing on the Dale Jr. Download with NASCAR Hall of Fame Dale Earnhardt Jr., Scott Speed reflected on his racing career, from Formula 1 to NASCAR and later rallycross.
His F1 shot came about when Red Bull first arrived on the grid, and was searching for an American talent. 1985 Indianapolis 500 winner Danny Sullivan was a big part of the idea, with Speed saying, "They selected 16 of us ...
28 March 2026 08:54
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has warned that George Russell will face similar issues during the Japanese Grand Prix to those he battled against in qualifying.
Wolff confirmed after qualifying that changes had been made to Russell's car ahead of today's session at the Suzuka circuit, which left the Briton fighting with too much oversteer.
"We did a set-up tweak on the other side," the ...
28 March 2026 08:26
The Japanese Grand Prix is hosting round three of the 2026 Formula 1 campaign and Kimi Antonelli will start on pole after an action-packed qualifying session at Suzuka.
Here are five takeaways from Saturday in Suzuka.
Qualifying change a step in the right direction for 2026 ruleset
The 2026 regulation change has been contentious to say the least. Just looking at the drivers, Max ...
28 March 2026 08:08
After every F1 qualifying session, Motorsport publishes each team's qualifying record in terms of team-mate battles.
This record is based exclusively on qualifying results so that grid penalties don't alter the statistics.
When a driver can't put in a representative lap time due to a technical issue or an incident, this will be mentioned in the table.
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Formula 1F1 ...
28 March 2026 08:05
Kimi Antonelli grabbed his second career pole position at the Japanese Grand Prix, also his second in a row, as Max Verstappen was eliminated in Q2.
Antonelli enforced his dominance on Mercedes team-mate George Russell so far this weekend, with the Italian youngster quicker than his elder in the last two free practice sessions as well as Q2 – by six tenths – and Q3 – by three.
The ...
28 March 2026 04:57
Mercedes F1 driver Kimi Antonelli has headed team-mate George Russell in final practice at the Japanese Grand Prix.
Russell was unable to top Antonelli's final quarter lap in the W17 as Mercedes heads to qualifying as the clear favourites, leading FP3 by a huge margin over its Ferrari and McLaren challengers.
The first proper push laps saw the Ferraris take an early lead before Antonelli ...
27 March 2026 22:26
Alex Brundle has detailed what the energy tweaks introduced for qualifying at the Japanese Grand Prix will mean for the drivers.
The FIA confirmed ahead of the race weekend at the Suzuka Circuit that drivers will now only be allowed to harvest eight megajoules of energy, rather than the previously permitted nine megajoules. The adjustment has been introduced to reduce the amount of super ...
27 March 2026 21:51
Lewis Hamilton surprised fans ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix as he arrived at a Yokohama car meet in a Ferrari F40.
The Ferrari F40, estimated to be worth £4million, pulled up beside a Subaru Impreza and a Honda NSX sporting a wide bodykit at the Daikoku Parking Area in Yokohama. The iconic car was the last to be personally approved by Enzo Ferrari and it features a 2.9-litre twin-turbo V8 ...
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