Max Verstappen comes out on top yet again at Suzuka. The Dutchman wins his fourth consecutive qualifying to clinch pole position at the Japanese Grand Prix. In his pursuit of pole, Verstappen repeated his 2023 qualifying feat of edging past McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, denying the Papayas another possible front-row lockout. It should not be a surprise to realise that Verstappen also broke the Suzuka track lap record, which was previously held by Sebastian Vettel since 2019.
Leaving the McLaren duo in a rather bitter spot, it was Verstappen’s 41st pole position, which comes 17 months after his last pole at the 2024 Austrian Grand Prix. But the Dutch driver did not start on a promising note. Rather, on the contrary, the McLaren duo of Norris and Piastri seemed to be among the contenders once again to win qualifying for the Papayas. In Q3, Chinese GP winner Oscar Piastri was the fastest in the first run. But Norris later appeared to take pole in his second attempt.
Max Verstappen had other plans. For starters, he managed to drive through all 18 corners of Suzuka smoothly. Verstappen clocked the perfect lap at 1:26.983, securing his pole position for another race day in Japan. What makes it even more impressive are the finest of margins by which Verstappen edged past all the other drivers to win qualifying. The Dutchman was surprised to find himself at the front, saying:
“We tried the best we could to get the best possible balance with the car, but it wasn’t easy even in Qualifying. Every session, we just kept on making little improvements, and I think that’s where we made the difference.
“The last lap was just flat out. Around here, being on the limit or maybe a bit over in places is incredibly rewarding.”
“It’s insane in a Formula 1 car around here. Sector 1 especially is unbelievable. The new Tarmac as well just gives you even more grip so to commit is even harder.”
How Other Drivers Fared Behind Max Verstappen
Max Verstappen’s impressive performance stood out even more because his new team-mate Yuki Tsunoda only managed 15th on his Red Bull debut. He finished one place behind Liam Lawson, the driver he replaced from Racing Bulls.
Verstappen denied McLaren another front-row lockout, with Lando Norris finishing P2 and Oscar Piastri P3. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished P4, while his new teammate Lewis Hamilton could only manage eighth. He was three tenths slower than his team-mate, continuing a tough start with his new team.
George Russell looked like he might challenge the McLarens in qualifying, but a mistake on his final lap meant he ended up fifth. His rookie team-mate Andrea Kimi Antonelli impressed with a solid sixth place. Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar took seventh despite having seat-belt issues early in the session that left him clearly distressed over team radio.
Alex Albon was ninth for Williams. British rookie Oliver Bearman delivered a standout performance for Haas to make it into Q3 and finish tenth. Carlos Sainz qualified 12th in the other Williams but will start 15th on Sunday due to a grid penalty for blocking Hamilton in Q2.
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