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Latest Weather Forecast for the F1 Japanese Grand Prix 2026

The 2026 F1 Season continues in Suzuka with our annual return to a fan favorite track! Here is the weather the drivers, teams, and fans will expect heading into the race weekend.
Kaitlin Tucci|
Max Verstappen
Max Verstappen | Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool

The Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka International Racing Course is one of the 'fan-favorite' races on the F1 calendar. This year is slightly different, as this will be the final race before an unexpected one-month break following the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Grand Prix.

As the new era of Formula 1 continues, the conversation is less about 'who will win' the races. Mercedes and Ferrari have emerged as early favorites, essentially the only two teams that seem to have mastered reliability in the new power-unit and regulation era.

The conversation at the Japanese Grand Prix will be about not just which teams can finish the race, but at this point, which teams can start the race. Last week, McLaren did not start the Chinese GP due to technical issues; Aston Martin cars still face severe technical setbacks. Several other teams, including Red Bull with Max Verstappen, have also faced reliability issues.

McLaren Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris
Jun 15, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Haas driver Esteban Ocon (31) races ahead of McLaren driver Lando Norris (4) during the F1 Montreal Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images | Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

The good news for the teams is that, unlike prior years in Japan, the weather is expected to be mild throughout the weekend.

Without weather impacting race conditions, the true pace of the cars and reliability will continue to be revealed in the new era of F1 regulations.

F1 2026 Japanese Grand Prix weather forecast

Friday, March 27 - Free Practice 1 / Free Practice 2

  • Friday is expected to start the weekend with dry, sunny, and mildly warm weather with only light breezes around the track throughout the day. Perfect track weather for the teams.
  • Free Practice 1 temperature expected 61 Degrees Fahrenheit / 16 Degrees Celsius
  • Sprint Qualifying temperature expected 66 Degrees Fahrenheit / 19 Degrees Celsius
  • Chance of rain: 0% 

Saturday, March 28 - Free Practice 3 / Grand Prix Qualifying

  • Saturday is expected to have nearly identical weather to Friday with a sunny, clear, and mildly warm day. The wind will pick up in the afternoon with light gusts. However, conditions will again be 'perfect' on the track.
  • Sprint Race temperature expected 63 Degrees Fahrenheit / 17 Degrees Celsius
  • Grand Prix Qualifying temperature expected 66 Degrees Fahrenheit / 19 Degrees Celsius
  • Chance of rain: 0%

Sunday, March 29 - Race

  • Sunday will again see mild conditions throughout the day with a small chance of rain and cloud coverage expected much later in the day – unlikely to impact the Japanese Grand Prix at this time.
  • Race start temperature expected 70 Degrees Fahrenheit / 21 Degrees Celsius
  • Chance of rain: 15%

Weather forecast information was accurate at the time of publication. The forecast is subject to change.

At the last Japanese Grand Prix, it was Red Bull's Max Verstappen who took home his first win of the season. However, it has been the Mercedes duo of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli who have won the Australian and Chinese Grands Prix, respectively, leagues ahead of the competition this season.

Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, Chinese GP 2026
Kimi Antonelli Chinese GP Win | Mercedes-Benz Media

Who will take home the third race win of the new era in Formula 1, and which cars will even take the checkered flag?

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Kaitlin Tucci
KAITLIN TUCCI

Kaitlin Tucci has been a fan of motorsport for close to a decade. Before joining On SI in 2025, she contributed heavily to the marketing and media efforts at FanAmp, a motorsports startup for which she was the Head of Marketing. She has contributed to a number of publications covering series such as Formula 1, IndyCar, IMSA, and more... Kaitlin graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with both a degree in Business/Marketing and Political Science. She works full time as a marketer at high-growth tech startups while spending her weekends immersed in the world of racing. Kaitlin was raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, but has lived in New York City for the past 5 years with her 'giant chihuahua' Willow. You'll often catch Willow watching races alongside Kaitlin, but unfortunately she doesn't have enough airline miles to join her at the track just yet.

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