F1 2026 Japanese Grand Prix starting grid with penalties applied

The F1 starting grid for the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix has taken shape following Saturday's qualifying session at Suzuka International Circuit.

After picking up back-to-back one-two results at the Australian and Chinese Grands Prix, Mercedes are once again looking to dominate the podium having locked out the front row ahead of this year's main event in Japan.

19-year-old Kimi Antonelli made history last time out in Shanghai by becoming the youngest grand prix polesitter, and like London buses, two poles have now come along for the Italian at once.

The Mercedes star managed to hold off team-mate George Russell to pick up the second grand prix pole position of his career, with Oscar Piastri hoping to make the most out of his P3 starting position having failed to complete a single grand prix lap with McLaren so far this season.

If Piastri can actually make it to the second row of the Japanese GP grid on Sunday, he will be joined by Charles Leclerc.

Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton may have to rely on the lightning fast race start of his SF-26, with the Ferrari star set to start back in P6 behind the other McLaren of Lando Norris

Meanwhile, the lacklustre campaign continues for four-time champion Max Verstappen who, having got four consecutive pole positions at Suzuka prior to 2026, was knocked out in Q2 by Red Bull junior Arvid Lindblad.

As a result, the Dutchman will start Sunday's race from 11th on the grid.

Here is how the grid will look for the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix!

F1 RESULTS: Japanese GP times & positions

F1 Starting Grid - Japanese Grand Prix

F1 Race Times - Japanese Grand Prix

Lights out for the Japanese Grand Prix is today (Sunday, March 29, 2026), at 2pm local time (JST) at Suzuka International Circuit.

The clocks spring forward this weekend in the UK, on Sunday, March 29 at 2am UK time, meaning the UK will switch to BST rather than GMT.

This means that although Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix is an hour earlier than qualifying local time at 2pm JST, both qualifying and the race will be on at 6am UK time (BST).

Find the race start time converted to your local time zone below:

Japanese Grand Prix 2026 Session Times

Race - Sunday, March 29, 2026

How to watch the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix live on TV today

Broadcast details vary depending on your location. Check below to see how to tune in for some major countries:

Where to watch: F1 2026 broadcasters by region

* - A free seven-day trial of Apple TV is available for fans in the US, allowing them to watch F1 for free this weekend.

F1TV Pro also carries coverage of the sport, depending on which territory you are in.

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Written by

Kerry Violet - F1 News Editor

Having graduated from the University of Sheffield with a 2:1 in Journalism in 2022, Kerry continued her pursuit of finding a full-time position in motorsport through work with the F1 Arcade in London, where she got to meet true fans of the sport and make a live grand prix watch party memorable for them. It was here that she confirmed her dream of combining her background in journalism and love of motorsport, going on to volunteer with the female-led platform Empoword Journalism. Having completed stints as a screen editor and sports editor, Kerry landed her first F1-specific editorial role with GPFans and has thoroughly enjoyed continuing to work closely with the sport ever since. The access GPFans offers Kerry has allowed her to interview big names such as Naomi Schiff and David Coulthard and given her experiences she could only have dreamt of as a young F1 fan.

View full biography

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