Which Formula 1 driver made the most of the Japanese Grand Prix weekend?

It’s time to give your verdict on which driver did the best with the equipment at their disposal over the last three days.

Review how each driver got on below and vote for who impressed you the most at Suzuka.

Driver performance summary

Driver Q stage Q pos. Q gap to team mate GP grid pos. GP pos.
Lando Norris Q3 5 +0.277s 5 5
Oscar Piastri Q3 3 -0.277s 3 2
George Russell Q3 2 +0.298s 2 4
Andrea Kimi Antonelli Q3 1 -0.298s 1 1
Max Verstappen Q2 11 +0.158s 11 8
Isack Hadjar Q3 8 -0.158s 8 12
Charles Leclerc Q3 4 -0.162s 4 3
Lewis Hamilton Q3 6 +0.162s 6 6
Alexander Albon Q1 17 +0.161s 17 20
Carlos Sainz Jnr Q2 16 -0.161s 16 15
Arvid Lindblad Q3 10 -0.386s 10 14
Liam Lawson Q2 14 +0.386s 14 9
Lance Stroll Q1 22 +0.274s 22 Not classified
Fernando Alonso Q1 21 -0.274s 21 18
Esteban Ocon Q2 12 -0.175s 12 10
Oliver Bearman Q1 18 +0.175s 18 Not classified
Nico Hulkenberg Q2 13 +0.397s 13 11
Gabriel Bortoleto Q3 9 -0.397s 9 13
Pierre Gasly Q3 7 -0.753s 7 7
Franco Colapinto Q2 15 +0.753s 15 16
Sergio Perez Q1 19 -0.124s 19 17
Valtteri Bottas Q1 20 +0.124s 20 19

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Vote for your driver of the weekend

Which driver do you think did the best job throughout the race weekend?

Who got the most out of their car in qualifying and the race? Who put their team mate in the shade?

Cast your vote below and explain why you chose the driver you picked in the comments.

Who was the best driver of the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix weekend?

  • No opinion (1%)
  • Valtteri Bottas (0%)
  • Sergio Perez (0%)
  • Pierre Gasly (11%)
  • Franco Colapinto (0%)
  • Gabriel Bortoleto (0%)
  • Nico Hulkenberg (0%)
  • Oliver Bearman (1%)
  • Esteban Ocon (0%)
  • Fernando Alonso (1%)
  • Lance Stroll (0%)
  • Arvid Lindblad (0%)
  • Liam Lawson (2%)
  • Carlos Sainz Jnr (0%)
  • Alexander Albon (0%)
  • Lewis Hamilton (1%)
  • Charles Leclerc (10%)
  • Isack Hadjar (0%)
  • Max Verstappen (1%)
  • George Russell (0%)
  • Andrea Kimi Antonelli (24%)
  • Oscar Piastri (46%)
  • Lando Norris (0%)

Total Voters: 82

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Published by

Keith Collantine

Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 – when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring journalist, Keith began running the site full-time in 2010, achieving a long-held ambition to dedicate his full attention to his passion for motor racing. View all posts by Keith Collantine