The top six was very close in qualifying on Saturday, but Daniel Ricciardo still lost out by finishing sixth, which has left the Aussie wanting more.
The winner of last the previous Grand Prix in Monaco wasn't happy with his own performance in qualifying.
"We've made big steps in qualifying, but I can't be happy with P6," Ricciardo told Sky Sports F1.
"We always fight for a spot with the top six and today we just lost.
"I've been struggling to get into a rhythm all weekend long and we can't seem to get the right balance in the car.
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"I had the feeling that I was going much quicker, but the scoreboard said P6, so I'm disappointed."
His teammate Max Verstappen has been very quick all weekend, but Ricciardo did notice that Verstappen got a little boost on his hot lap.
"We weren't favourites for qualifying, but we were definitely closer than we thought.
"Max caught a slipstream which won him some time, but he was simply faster all weekend long."
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Japanese Grand Prix
Overview
Friday 27.03.26
Practice 1
02:30 AM
Practice 2
06:00 AM
Saturday 28.03.26
Practice 3
02:30 AM
Qualification
06:00 AM
Sunday 29.03.26
Race
05:00 AM
Friday 27.03.26
Practice 1
Fri 02:30 AM
Practice 2
Fri 06:00 AM
Saturday 28.03.26
Practice 3
Sat 02:30 AM
Qualification
Sat 06:00 AM
Sunday 29.03.26
Race
Sun 05:00 AM
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F1-stand 2026
Season
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | MercedesMER | 51 | |
2 | MercedesMER | 47 | |
3 | FerrariFER | 34 | |
4 | FerrariFER | 33 | |
5 | HaasHAA | 17 | |
6 | McLarenMCL | 15 | |
7 | AlpineALP | 9 | |
8 | Red Bull RacingRBR | 8 | |
9 | Racing BullsRCB | 8 | |
10 | Racing BullsRCB | 4 |
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