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Formula One leaders Mercedes go into Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix chasing a season-opening hat-trick of one-two ‌wins, with Kimi Antonelli fired up after a maiden victory and George Russell seeking ​to cement his status as title ‌favourite.The pair have won one Sunday race each but Russell, winner of the season-opener ‌in Australia and the ⁠Saturday sprint in China, ‌leads his Chinese Grand Prix-winning teammate by ‌four points.Mercedes last kicked off with a hat-trick of wins in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic-hit season in ⁠which Austria's Red Bull Ring hosted the first two races.The last time they started with three one-two finishes was in 2019.Having made a similarly dominant start to the sport's new era this season, including locking out the front row in every qualifying session, they could tick off both milestones on Sunday."We have made a positive start to the season but it is only that," said Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff. "We know that the moment you think you've got this sport figured out, ​you are usually proven wrong."FERRARI CHASING FIRST WIN AT SUZUKA SINCE 2004Despite Wolff's caution, either Russell or Antonelli should be celebrating a first win at Suzuka, a 5.8-km figure-of-eight layout widely hailed as a drivers' track that hosts ‌the 40th running of the Japanese ⁠round.Ferrari, who last won ​at Suzuka in 2004 and have been second-best to Mercedes in the opening two ​races, will hope to rise to the challenge.Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, thanks to their fast starts and intra-team duels, have served up plenty of wheel-to-wheel entertainment.Seven-time world champion Hamilton, in particular, has shown plenty of fight and ended his podium drought in China with a third-place finish. A four-time Suzuka winner, the Briton will be hoping that run continues.Circuit owners Honda will be hoping for a happier homecoming as power unit suppliers to Aston Martin after a dismal start to their year.Neither Fernando Alonso nor Lance Stroll have finished the opening two races, with vibrations from the Japanese manufacturer's power unit severely limiting running.Just getting to the chequered flag would be big ‌progress for the Japanese manufacturer that ‌powered Max Verstappen to four successive wins ⁠on the circuit from 2022 to 2025 when they were partners to Red Bull.The four-time world champion, ⁠who now has a Ford-badged Red Bull ⁠power unit in his car, will also be looking to bounce back after retiring in China."Heading into Suzuka, this is one of my favourite tracks to race at with lots of high-speed corners," said Verstappen. "There is a lot of history at this circuit for the team and it is one I always look forward to coming back to."McLaren will be hoping for a strong showing after reigning champion Lando Norris and ​Oscar Piastri were unable to start in China.Australian Piastri will be especially keen to get a full race distance under his belt, having only completed the China sprint so far after also crashing out on a reconnaissance lap ahead of his home race in Melbourne.Haas could provide some cheer for the Japanese fans.The U.S.-owned team have Toyota's motorsports division as their title sponsors and are led by Japanese team principal Ayao Komatsu.The team, running a special Godzilla-themed livery from this weekend, are an impressive fourth in the constructors' standings with the team's British racer Oliver Bearman fifth in the drivers' battle.The Japanese Grand ‌Prix will be the last ​race until the Miami Grand Prix on May 3 with April's Bahrain and Saudi Arabian rounds cancelled due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. 

Ducati's Marc Marquez clinched his seventh MotoGP championship at the Japanese Grand Prix Sunday and his first since 2019 after he took an unassailable lead in the world championship with five rounds to spare.Marquez needed to outscore his brother and title contender Alex of Gresini Racing by three or more points by the end of the weekend, and finished second behind his teammate Francesco Bagnaia in Sunday's race to clinch the title.Honda's Joan Mir was third, while Alex finished sixth, giving Marc a 201-point lead over his brother. Alex was the first to approach Marc and congratulate him, giving him a warm embrace when they came to a stop.Marc had his head in his hands after he crossed the line and when the magnitude of the accomplishment hit him, the Spaniard let out a scream.Marquez then came to a stop in front of a big screen and, with tears in his eyes, watched a montage of his struggles over the past six years, which included more than 100 crashes and four operations, as he reclaimed the title after 2,184 days.The coronation was complete when he added his name etched on a silver plaque to the cylindrical MotoGP trophy known as the 'Tower of Champions'."It's impossible even to speak... I just want to enjoy the moment, but it's true that it was difficult, it was super difficult, but now I'm at peace with myself," Marquez said as he fought back tears."I did a big mistake in my career, to come back too early (from surgery) and then I fight, fight, fight - and I won again! So I'm at peace."Ducati's pole sitter and Saturday's sprint winnerBagnaia had a strong start and two laps later he was more than a second clear of KTM's Pedro Acosta while Marquez slotted in behind his Spanish compatriot in third place.By lap seven, Bagnaia was comfortably in control in the lead but Marquez seemed to be struggling to match Acosta's pace, giving Mir the opportunity to close in and challenge him for third place.Marquez eventually found a way past Acosta when he tucked into his slipstream and overtook him on lap 11, but he was staring at a gap of four seconds to his teammate Bagnaia, who was streaking away to his second victory of the season.With 11 laps left, Acosta was clearly struggling for grip and Mir pounced to move up to third as the 2020 champion chased a rare podium finish having retired from 10 races this season.The Ducati paddock had a few heart-stopping moments in the second half of the race when Bagnaia's bike began emitting smoke as Marquez began to close in rapidly, but the Italian was eventually able to nurse his bike to the chequered flag."I don't want to take the spotlight from Marc, he deserves the spotlight today," said Bagnaia, who has been MotoGP champion twice."But in any case, I'm happy. It's just a little shame that it arrived now (so late in the season)... I hope that from now on I will continue in this way, because like this I can fight."