Alice Powell
British racing driver on BBC Radio 5 Live

I'm amazed how Kimi Antonelli hasn't been doing what George Russell has been doing and coming through. Somewhere along the line he is struggling to get past [Lando Norris].

Oscar Piastri is leading at Suzuka after spying a chance to slip by on the inside of Kimi Antonelli at lights out from P3 on the grid. The Australian has George Russell breathing down his neck now, so how long can he can he keep the Mercedes driver at bay?

Alice Powell
British racing driver on BBC Radio 5 Live

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I'm wondering what happened to Gabriel Bortoleto. He has dropped way down from where he has started. He started in ninth place, down to 15th now. Kimi Antonelli still not able to get past Lando Norris.

Replays of the race start show Kimi Antonelli watching a gaggle of cars go past him. The polesitter is sat in fifth place, one place behind Lando Norris and just ahead of the Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton.

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Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad is ahead of the Red Bull of Max Verstappen in the points places but as the two cars reach the hairpin, the four-time world champion passes the Briton and is up to eighth place. Lindblad is then overtaken by the Haas of Esteban Ocon, so he's back in 10th spot.

Charles Leclerc went to up second from fourth on the race start but the Ferrari driver loses position to the George Russell, who after disposing of title holder Lando Norris, makes his move on Leclerc for P2. The Mercedes is clocking the fastest laps and leader Oscar Piastri is next on his list.

Alice Powell
British racing driver on BBC Radio 5 Live

George Russell had another snap of oversteer, we saw this yesterday from him out of the final chicane and another one there but disaster for Antonelli. It should be easy for the Mercedes to slice through the pack. Looking at the pace from Piastri, he's making it look fairly comfortable.

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World champion Lando Norris is out of the podium places now, as the Mercedes of George Russell starts to make his way through to challenge again at the front.

Kimi Antonelli certainly has work to do to claw his way to another F1 win. The Italian is in fifth place and looking to battle with Norris for fourth.

Oscar Piastri hadn't started a race yet and now he leads from third. The Australian is 1.5 seconds clear of the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc and his McLaren team-mate Lando Norris.

Max Verstappen has climbed to ninth place after an overtake on Red Bull team-mate Isack Hadjar, who is now under pressure from Brit rookie Arvid Lindblad.

Alice Powell
British racing driver on BBC Radio 5 Live

Image source, Getty Images

Brilliant start from Oscar, hasn't started a grand prix all year and he certain waited for this one. He has a good gap already to Charles Leclerc in second place.

The Japanese Grand Prix is under way!

Oscar Piastri leads the race from third after a terrible start for Kimi Antonelli! The Italian has dropped all the way down to sixth place, while the other McLaren of Lando Norris has taken Piastri's P3 spot.

Both Mercedes have tumbled down, with George Russell now in fourth. Charles Leclerc is up to second, Lewis Hamilton is fifth.

1996 world champion Damon Hill talking to 5 Live's Jennie Gow: "We're expecting this unusual 2026 style start where the Ferraris may jump the cars ahead of them but honestly we really don't know. The first 10 laps of the races this season have been really fascinating and quite frantic. What's interesting for me, is this the sudden appearance of Kimi Antonelli on the stage as a potential world champion?"

On Antonelli's performances: "He went through the tough bit, he realised that F1 isn't easy, even if you're incredibly talented. But Toto [Wolff] has put his arm around him and the team have come around him and really solidified the confidence and he did a great job in China. He's going to have a fight against George definitely. I honestly don't know [who will win] between George and Kimi but it's definitely between those two."

Alice Powell
British racing driver on BBC Radio 5 Live

Lando Norris has just been unlucky, hasn't he? That's what McLaren are saying at least but I think there is a little more to it because they seemed to have too many things go wrong. Oscar Piastri starts his first grand prix today, I don't want to jinx it. He's not had a great weekend, Lando, with reliability issues, does a fairly decent job, still lacking a bit behind his team-mate, which I think he has been, even through the practice sessions over the weekend. Some drivers are adapting a little better to their team-mates with these new regulations.

Kimi Antonelli is making his way on to that pole position grid slot, closely followed by his Mercedes team-mate George Russell, the McLaren of Oscar Piastri and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc - all on medium tyres.

Watch out for Leclerc in fourth place. Can the Monegasque driver find a way through on the front three like he did at the opener in Melbourne?

Victor: All this hate of the new regs miss an important point. F1 is driving to the limit of the car, which they're still doing.

Alice Powell
British racing driver on BBC Radio 5 Live

Arvid Lindblad has been so impressive. He missed out in FP2 with a gearbox issue, had a great result in qualifying. He did a great job in China. Two tracks he hasn't been to and he has outperformed his team-mate. If I was Liam Lawson, I would be thinking really? Not again. Arvid has taken it to it like a duck to water.

The medium tyres are bolted on for everyone expect Valtteri Bottas at Cadillac, who has been placed on the hard compound to start with down in P20.

Alice Powell
British racing driver on BBC Radio 5 Live

Pierre Gasly is enjoying the new regulations, unlike some by the looks of it. He has had a solid start to the year, mixing in their with the Red Bulls. Can he possibly get in the mix here with Lando Norris? We could see him go even further forward up the grid.

Hadjar has done a great job, to outqualify Max Verstappen is impressive during any season but of course, he made the switch across from the sister team.

Mercedes have been in a league of their own so far in 2026 with the new regualtions, so it's no surprise to see them sit top of the constructors' standings by 31 points ahead of Ferrari.

Reigning world champions McLaren were on the end of a double DNS in China but they are still third in the table, one point clear of surprise package Haas in fourth.

Red Bull, meanwhile, are trailing behind the frontrunners after two grands prix and are level on 12 points with sister Racing Bulls.

Image source, BBC Sport/Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies speaking to 5 Live's Jennie Gow on the Suzuka grid: "We haven't managed to give our drivers a car that could push. Of course it's frustrating from inside the car, it's adding to the fact that generally we still have some work to do to get to the level of the competition, when you add to that some strong balance limitations and it's sometimes a bit too much. We have a lot of work to do but that's exactly what we're here for and we'll use the time ahead of us to try to get to the bottom of it."

On Isack Hadjar's performance this season: "Isack has been doing a good job since the beginning of the year - don't get me wrong we are unhappy also with Isack's positions. He's integrating very well into the team and today it's important to take as much learning as we can."