It’s F1 race week once again as the sport heads to Suzuka for the 2026 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix. But who will conquer the famous and historic Suzuka Circuit? Can Kimi Antonelli build on his win in China, or will Ferrari take their first victory of the new campaign?
In this week’s preview, I take a look at the track, talk tyres and make my predictions. Plus, Wheatley leaves Audi, special liveries are revealed, and who came out on top in me vs you last time out?
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2026 Teams and Drivers
McLaren: Lando Norris & Oscar Piastri
Mercedes: George Russell & Kimi Antonelli
Red Bull: Max Verstappen & Isack Hadjar
Ferrari: Charles Leclerc & Lewis Hamilton
Aston Martin: Fernando Alonso & Lance Stroll
Williams: Alex Albon & Carlos Sainz
Alpine: Pierre Gasly & Franco Colapinto
Racing Bulls: Liam Lawson & Arvid Lindblad
Haas: Esteban Ocon & Oliver Bearman
Audi: Nico Hulkenberg & Gabriel Bortoleto
Cadillac: Sergio Perez & Valtteri Bottas
#F1 #F12026 #JapaneseGP
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40 Comments
3 races in March then nothing until May.
And 3 is the number of dry tyre compounds available across a race weekend.
Happy Birthday!!!
Become a member… Get a helmet!
To be honest this is probably the best chance for Ferrari to get a early win I feel the track could suit them with it being hard to overtake
Happy birthday Sean!
Suzuka poses some interesting thoughts for the rest of the season. If Mercedes dominates in what should be one of Ferrari's strongest tracks it feels like it will be 2020 all over again. Where the only races mercedes dont win were errors on their own behalf more than other teams being outright faster.
With that being said, I'll bite on the hype.
Pole: Hamilton
Race win: Hamilton
Podium: Hamilton, Russell, Leclerc.
Fastest lap: Russell
Finishers: 18
Bold prediction: Alonso qualifies inside the top 15.
Shame you had to start a new channel. Hopefully everyone makes the jump over here. The weekend officially starts with your race previews!
👀🐅
Happy birthday Sean!!!! Love from Texas and from your favorite Texan!! Can’t wait to not have any F1 for weeks 😭
Happy Birthday Sean
May there be a lot of F1 seasons ahead of you
Happy belated birthday then. 🎉
Ok let do this the
Pole Antonelli
Win Hamilton
Podium Kimi Antonelli and Oscar Piastri
Fastest lap Hamilton
Finishes 13
Bold one of the Cadillac drivers will be 11th
Prediction – Russell pole and win, Antonelli and Lec podium. Race finishers 18. Fastest lap – Antonelli. Surprise – Hadjar has a good race over Verstappen
Happy birthday 🎉
Pole, George
Pody, Lewis, George, Charles
Fastest lap, Oscar
20 finishers
Bold, Carlos top 10
Hopefully enough goes on that we will have enough fodder to keep the speculation machine going until the next race.
Sean we have the same birthday lol happy birthday my friend
Pole- Russell, Race Win – Russell, Podium- Russel, Hamilton, Verstappen, Fastest Lap – Russell, Bold- Caddy beats at least one A-M and one Audi
Pole: Russell
Win: Hamilton
Podium: Russell, Antonelli
Fastest Lap: Antonelli
Finishers: 17
Bold: Piastri makes it to lap 10
Happy Birthday!
Prediction –
Russell pole and the win,
Antonelli and hamilton podium.
Race finishers 15.
Fastest lap – Antonelli.
Surprise – hulkenberg to finish 10th
huge happy birthday from us all
Tyre Talk missing some track resurfacing chat 😢
Charles first ,Bertoleti second and Verstapin third 100 percent
I see Max Verstappen is riding the ferris wheel.
RedBull has the best pit stop strategist. I think Max will split the Ferraris for 3rd.
Pole: RUS
Podium: RUS-ANT-HAM
Fastest Lap: LEC
Finishers: 20
Bold: All 22 drivers will start the race.
Happy b'day ❤🎉😊 Sean
Kimi be careful on the race tracks and the very best on the race tracks Wishing you final Win. From Dr Zara ❤
18 Starters would be bold! 😹
Sir Lewis Hamilton, the World's only CENTURION
(105×F1 GP Wins)
🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
FERRARI RED'S THE COLOUR,
F1 GRAND PRIX'S THE NAME,
THEN YOU HEAR TIFOSI HOLLER,
"IT'S HAMMER TIME AGAIN!"
8:33 the new cars really do look noticeably smaller, big improvement. Despite the on-track battles, I'm still not sold on the battery management games though. And super-clipping is still heartbreaking
Kimi looking good, McLaren and Redbull getting it together spells trouble for Charles and Ferrari.
Its absolutely the right call to not go racing, of course – still, looking forward to the Japanese GP like the last beer before the next payday xD
Pole: RUS
Podium: HAM – LEC – ANT (reliability ought to get the Mercs… at some point… maybe… and I am not even a Ferrari fan 😅)
Fastest Lap: VER
16 finish the race (2 dozen laps down doesn't count)
Bold Prediction: Alpine beats McLaren (I hate on 'em enough, but they have done an alright job, credit where its due!)
Max to win. This talk of,' 'harvesting'', is so pathetic ! whatever happened to ,'racing', ??
Happy belated birthday Sean!
Only the waffle is pure …. 🏁
Belated Happy Birthday!
China Results:
Formula Sean: 3 (2nd, 3rd, Bold Call [Colapinto scores])
Bélodie: 3 (Pole, 3rd, 0.5 for 1st and 2nd)
DGARedRaven: 1 (0.5 for 1st and 2nd)
Moray2023: 1.5 (3rd, 0.5 for 2nd)
z-ro34: 2 (2nd, 3rd)
TheJokerit19: 1 (0.5 for 1st and 2nd)
shadowmancy9183: 1 (0.5 for 1st and 2nd)
SadMarinersFan: 2 (Fastest Lap, 0.5 for 1st and 2nd)
ValentijnNL: 2 (1st, Fastest Lap)
MDGames2017: 1.5 (3rd, 0.5 for 1st)
JetsOutdoorAdventures: 2.5 (2nd, Fastest Lap, 0.5 for 1st)
ragingrhino101 (Audience): 4 (1st, 2nd, 3rd, Bold Call [Hadjar beats Verstappen in the sprint or the race])
vcp2077: 1.5 (3rd, 0.5 for 1st)
atacinch7920: 1 (0.5 for 2nd and 3rd)
EddyGF800: 1 (0.5 for 1st and 2nd)
LetoxxIant: 3 (1st, 2nd, 3rd)
F1SCR007: 2 (Pole, 0.5 for 1st and 2nd)
shubhamshukla5569: 3.5 (2nd, Fastest Lap, Bold Call [Both McLaren cars DNF], 0.5 for 1st)
bravo100th: 2 (Pole, 0.5 for 1st and 2nd)
Rankings:
Formula Sean: 5.5
Audience: 4.5
Bélodie: 4.5
z-ro34: 4.5
DGARedRaven: 4
TheJokerit19: 4
ragingrhino101: 4
adriansumner1412: 3.5
shubhamshukla5569: 3.5
LetoxxIant: 3
Moray2023: 2.5
bobdevreeze4741: 2.5
JetsOutdoorAdventures: 2.5
joegalloway9011: 2
shadowmancy9183: 2
AchillesMajor: 2
SadMarinersFan: 2
ValentijnNL: 2
F1SCR007: 2
bravo100th: 2
MDGames2017: 1.5
vcp2077: 1.5
zardsire2012: 1
ireneasare9552: 1
atacinch7920: 1
EddyGF800: 1
Jonty: 0.5
Once again, congratulations to everybody for getting points in China!
My Predictions:
Pole: Antonelli
Podium (1-2-3): Antonelli, Hamilton, Leclerc
Fastest Lap: Antonelli
Finishers: 15
Bold Call: At least 3 different teams have a reliability-caused retirement
Isn't it curious that the manufacturers dominating F1 at the start of this year are the same ones with the best combustion engines? No: it's obvious! That is, they haven't yet invented batteries better than refined hydrocarbon.
You're getting some good hype points this week! I saved my last lot for you in the hope that I'd not be alone. Hopefully it'll help with the algorithm 😅. Happy belated birthday! Hope you had a lovely day 😊 🎂🍻!
I don't usually do predictions but I'll have a crack. A driver in a car with 4 wheels going faster than anyone else will win, probably having got pole. There is always the possibility that reliability will be a problem for someone thrashing the nuts off their power train. Behind him will be another two going progressively slower. I'll play it a bit dangerously and say that three different teams will be represented on the podium!
A bunch of cars will go off at Degna and Spoon, but most will get back onto the track, hopefully safely, and there will be a few heart-in-mouth moments at 130R when someone going really fast will come up on someone charging their battery just off the racing line! Again, hopefully without any comings-together.
However, Perez will probably again forget that he's in a slower car and will get too close to some faster ones, quite possibly in turn one, lap one.
(No, I'm absolutely not a Perez hater, just looking at his year so far. In fact I'm neutral and have been since Damon retired 26 years ago. It makes the racing more exciting because I can enjoy any good moves, and it's easier on the blood pressure because I don't get worked up if someone breaks down. Watch Hungary 1997 and you'll understand.)
Btw, something that doesn't get mentioned much re Newey and his position at AM, that despite his apparent joy at being made TP, it was always meant to be a temporary position until they could get someone else in, with Wheatley seemingly their number 1 target. Not surprising given how long he and Newey have worked together, and he showed how good he is at organising everything for the team at RB then increased his range at Audi (Sauber) last year with great results. I'm saying this because I've seen so much speculation about Newey's place at AM. He's not going anywhere!
Enjoy the weekend folks! Here's hoping for a cracker, and a safe one! 🍻
Just watched some of free practice. These cars are terrible on this track. Oh my word its trash
Just realised we wont have a sunday afternoon race until June lmao