The Formula One roadshow is in Suzuka this weekend for the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix .
It is round three of the new F1 season, and the last race until Miami on May 3 after April events in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were both cancelled as a result of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Mercedes have so far dominated the start of a controversial new era for the sport that has heralded so many significant changes, with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli converting their pole positions into race wins in Australia and China respectively.
Early championship leader Russell was then fastest in FP1 on Friday, but Oscar Piastri finished ahead of the Silver Arrows duo in FP2 to give hope of a challenge in Suzuka and a potential McLaren renaissance after a very difficult start to their constructors’ title defence and Lando Norris’ bid for back-to-back drivers’ triumphs.
But it was the teenager Antonelli who took top spot in qualifying , pipping team-mate Rusell to pole position by nearly three-tenths of a second.
Max Verstappen ’s early-season struggles have continued so far in Japan, with the four-time world champion down in 11th on the grid having also clashed with a British journalist during a tense media session on Thursday.
When is the Japanese Grand Prix?
The 2026 Japanese Grand Prix takes place on Sunday, March 29 at the Suzuka Circuit in Suzuka, Japan.
The race is due to begin at 6am BST in the UK, which is 3pm local time.
The first two practice sessions for the Japanese Grand Prix took place on Friday, with FP3 following in the small hours of Saturday morning.
Qualifying took place on Saturday morning, with the race itself at 6am BST on Sunday.
Japanese Grand Prix starting grid
10.
Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls)
21.
Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
22.
Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
How to watch Japanese Grand Prix
TV channel: Every session from the Japanese Grand Prix is available to watch live in the UK on Sky Sports’ dedicated F1 channel, with coverage of Grand Prix Sunday from 5am BST on Sunday morning.
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Free highlights: Channel 4 will show free-to-air highlights of the race from 1pm BST on Sunday afternoon.
Japanese Grand Prix weather forecast
It will be warm and sunny across the race weekend in Suzuka, where some cloud is forecast for Sunday.
There should be no rain, with a highest temperature of around 21 degrees on race day.
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Source: This article was originally published by Evening Standard
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