​​Japanese Grand Prix Grid Walk: Can anyone stop a flying Kimi Antonelli?

With the exception of a small error on his final run, Antonelli was faultless in Japanese Grand Prix Qualifying, taking pole with three tenths in hand. Driving well within himself, with the confidence of F1’s youngest-ever race winner, he looked very comfortable on-track. 

Antonelli’s rapid improvement has been timed perfectly. Mercedes are the pace setters, and with others still getting to grips with F1’s new ruleset, his speed is being rewarded. When you factor in George Russell’s woes over the last two weekends, the Italian is in the box seat for back-to-back race wins.

But there are signs that the chasing pack are closing in. McLaren were right with Mercedes in free practice. They could be a threat from P3 & P5. In typical fashion, Ferrari also failed to capitalize on Charles Leclerc’s pace. He’s going to launch brilliantly from P4 and suggested post-qualifying that he can be a threat. 

It’s not looking like Lewis Hamilton’s weekend so far; he’s down in P6. And the less said about Max Verstappen and his “undriveable” Red Bull, the better. But Antonelli still faces threats on multiple fronts, not least from his teammate. So, he’ll need to execute almost flawlessly if he’s going to grab a second win. 

Despite the best efforts of F1’s media cheerleaders to cover it up, it was obvious in qualifying that poorly optimized battery deployment was still a source of frustration. The likes of Leclerc and Alex Albon, who qualified down in P17, bemoaned a serious lack of power on the straights.

After drivers were seen downshifting through 130R, it was noticeable how F1TV avoided showing onboards as cars attacked one of the sport’s most exciting corners. It’s clear that F1 still has a lot of work to do and fixes will require more than the changes to battery output introduced in qualifying this weekend. 

During the race, expect to see more clipping at T1, Degner 1 & Spoon. In qualifying, it also seemed like cars were being punished for getting on the power too early. Battery management is therefore going to be critical in the race, as drivers approach T1, the best corner on the circuit for overtaking.

Let’s be clear, this isn’t Formula 1. Some pundits have been busy comparing apples and oranges, basically equating tyre and engine management with recharging batteries. In reality, the former is a factor in all levels of motorsport; electrical power is not.

Either way, there’s going to be plenty of battery strategy going on. Hopefully the new graphics are up the job of telling fans what's happening. It would certainly help us see how much real overtaking is taking place, amid all the battery deployment jargon. 

Outside the top six, it seemed like Audi were going to be the best of the rest. They didn’t quite hook up their qualifying, as Gabriel Bortoleto claimed P9 and Nico Hülkenberg took P13. But they're in a good position to pressure Pierre Gasly and Isack Hadjar, who qualified a brilliant P7 & P8. 

For Verstappen, he arrived in Suzuka as the winner of every Japanese Grand Prix since 2019. While it would take a miracle to extend this record, he’s still in the points fight in P11. It’ll be fun to watch him scrap in the midfield – Red Bull will be looking at his setup.

Other drivers out of position include Ollie Bearman, who suggested that an issue caused him to qualify P18. One of this season’s surprise packages, expect him to enter the battle for points towards the end. When you look at Gasly, Franco Colapinto also seems to be out of position in P15.

The Argentine scored his first points in China and Alpine have a much faster car this year. He'll need to do better in race trim to keep Flavio Briatore off his back. 

With the form of F1’s midfield teams fluctuating track-by-track, it’s a difficult picture to read. It's likely to be a one-stop race. One well-timed pit stop under a safety car caused by backmarker teams Williams, Cadillac, and Aston Martin could make all the difference in the battle for the point-scoring positions. 

Leclerc is the man to watch off the line. It’s a short run down to T1. But if he can ace the initial launch, it’s entirely possible that he’ll go side-by-side with the two Mercedes. 

If Russell can sort out his setup, he’ll be another huge threat to Antonelli. Will the 19-year-old be able to handle the pressure? It’s one thing to capitalize on a teammate’s misfortune, as he did last weekend, but it would be way more impressive to take a dominant win on level terms. 

Antonelli will need to show the level of composure exhibited by Russell in Australia if he’s going to do it. He can likely pick off Ferrari. Unless they seriously pick up the pace, the Scuderia’s battle is going to be with McLaren. For Antonelli, it’s more about how he manages himself – and the pressure of fighting an established teammate.

There’s no doubt he’s Mercedes’ golden boy. Now, it's time to prove that he can live up to the hype and show he has the minerals to fight for the title. It’s going to be a great watch, especially for all the Kimi fans back in Italy, who brave the early start time!