Max Verstappen delivered a blistering performance at Suzuka this morning, snatching pole position for the Japanese Grand Prix with a stunning lap of 1:26.983—his fourth consecutive pole at the iconic circuit. The reigning world champion edged out McLaren’s Lando Norris by a razor-thin margin of just 0.012 seconds, setting the stage for a fiery race day showdown.
Verstappen’s lap was a return to qualifying dominance, his first pole since Austria 2023. “It was a special one,” Verstappen said after the session. “The car came alive in Q3, and I just hooked it all up.”
McLaren proved to be Red Bull’s closest challenger once again. Norris narrowly missed out on what would have been his second career pole, while teammate Oscar Piastri also impressed, taking third on the grid with a time just 0.044 seconds shy of Verstappen’s.
Drama in the Midfield
One of the most unexpected stories of the day came from Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar. The rookie delivered a heroic qualifying performance to take seventh place—despite suffering from a bizarre and painful incident caused by a twisted seatbelt pressing against a sensitive area. The discomfort was so intense that Hadjar later joked he nearly lost control of the car in Turn 3.
Meanwhile, Yuki Tsunoda had a more subdued showing in his first qualifying session as a Red Bull Racing driver at his home Grand Prix, finishing 15th, one spot behind former teammate Liam Lawson, now racing for Racing Bulls.
Penalties and Disruptions
Williams’ Carlos Sainz initially qualified 12th but was hit with a three-place grid penalty for impeding Lewis Hamilton during Q2. That drops him to 15th, allowing others to move up on the starting grid.
The session wasn’t without its unusual delays. A brief red flag was triggered in Q1 after sparks from the underside of one of the cars ignited a patch of dry grass beside the track, causing a small fire. Marshals quickly brought it under control, and the session resumed shortly after.
Starting Grid – Top 5
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Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
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Lando Norris (McLaren)
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Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
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George Russell (Mercedes)
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Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
As the field lines up for Sunday’s race, all eyes will be on Verstappen to see if he can convert pole into victory—but McLaren’s charge is real, and with Suzuka’s high-speed drama, anything could happen.