Antonelli and Russell lock out the front row in Japanese Grand Prix qualifying

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli of Italy, left, poses with Japan's sumo wrestler Kotozakura after the qualifying session of the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix at the Suzuka Circuit in Suzuka, Japan. (AP)

SUZUKA, Japan, March 28 (AP): Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli took the pole for Sunday’s Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix, just two weeks after he led qualifying and won the first race of his career at the Chinese Grand Prix.

The 19-year-old Antonelli’s qualifying time Saturday was 1 minute, 28.778 seconds on the 5.8-kilometer (3.6-mile) Suzuka circuit in central Japan.

Teammate George Russell will start alongside him. Russell won in Australia in the first race of the season and also took the pole, the start of Mercedes’ early dominance in 2026. Four-time champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull will start 11th after struggling and complaining on his radio about his car.

“I think there is something wrong with the car, mate. It was completely undrivable,” he said.

Saturday’s qualifying was run on a sunny spring day with the same predicted conditions for Sunday

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who has yet to start a race this season, will start alongside Charles Leclerc of Ferrari in the second row, and Lando Norris of McLaren starts on row three next to Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari.

“It was a good one. It was a clean one,” Antonelli said. “I felt very good in the car. I’m really happy with the session, and now we focus on tomorrow.”

For the second straight race it was the young Italian upstaging the older British driver.

“He did a great job again,” the 28-year-old Russell said.

Antonelli’s quickest lap was three-tenths of a second faster than Russell's, which is a big gap in Formula 1.

“I think overall it was a very strong session,” Antonelli said. “But with the (new) regulations it’s very easy to gain or lose three-tenths. It’s really easy to gain or lose time.”

Formula 1 cars this season are powered 50-50 by battery power and combustion-engine power, and the chassis are slightly smaller and more nimble. This had made overtaking much easier in the first two races.

But Suzuka is an old-school circuit and is narrower with fewer straights, so passing will still be difficult.

“It can be good racing, but I don’t think it’s going to be as easy as China and Melbourne,” Antonelli said. “The track is quite a bit tighter, and you don’t have as many straights where you can overtake. It’s not going to be easy, that’s why it’s crucial to have a good start.”

Russell struggled throughout the session, lucky to pull into the second spot. Early in the session he was much deeper in the pack.

“The car just did not feel the same as it did the whole weekend,” Russell said.

Two weeks ago in China, neither McLaren cars took part in the race because of electrical problems. And in Australia, Piastri sat out after crashing his car before the race even started. So being on the second row is a win for the Australian.

“This weekend we’ve looked good,” Piastri said. “We’ve executed well. We clearly don’t have the pace or the grip to match Mercedes still, but we are getting closer.”