F1 at Suzuka: Mercedes Target Third Win of 2026
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- Mercedes have taken one-two finishes in the first two grands prix of 2026 (Australia and China), with Kimi Antonelli winning in China to become F1's newest race winner and George Russell leading the drivers' championship
- Ferrari have finished 3-4 in both opening rounds and head to Suzuka seeking their first Grand Prix victory since 2024 — and a first at the circuit since Michael Schumacher in 2004
- Max Verstappen is undefeated at Suzuka in both qualifying and the race since F1 returned to Japan in 2022, though Red Bull are off the pace early in 2026
- McLaren, the reigning world champions, suffered a double DNS in Shanghai and will be "keen to just make the race start" at Suzuka
- The Japanese Grand Prix is the final F1 action for five weeks after the April Bahrain and Saudi Arabian rounds were cancelled
- UK viewers can watch the race live at 6am on Sunday March 29 on Sky Sports F1 and Main Event, with build-up from 4:30am; the Suzuka forecast is dry but cool, with temperatures in the high teens
Why it matters: The early 2026 pecking order is crystallizing: Mercedes dominant, Ferrari trailing but improving, and both Red Bull and McLaren — last year's championship protagonists — clearly off the pace. UK fans face a 6am Sunday alarm, and with Bahrain and Saudi Arabia cancelled, this is the last F1 action for over a month, concentrating the competitive narrative into a single weekend.
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