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F1 Japanese GP: Verstappen grabs surprise pole to defeat the McLarens

Max Verstappen stormed to a surprise pole position at the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix as the reigning world champion defeated both McLarens to grab top spot.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri had been setting the pace during practice, but it was Verstappen who delivered when it mattered, putting in a new track record of 1m26.983s to secure his fourth successive Suzuka pole.

Early championship leader Norris will start alongside the Dutchman having been pipped by just 0.012 seconds, while Chinese Grand Prix winner Piastri is third alongside Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari.

Before Verstappen’s fine effort, it was Mercedes that had been worrying the McLaren duo but George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli could only make the third row.

There had been plenty of talk about Red Bull’s decision to switch Liam Lawson with Yuki Tsunoda heading to Japan but neither made it into Q3, instead it was the Racing Bull of Isack Hadjar who impressed to go seventh, despite reporting a cockpit issue during the opening session.

Lewis Hamilton will be disappointed to have only managed eighth, ahead of the Williams of Alex Albon and Oliver Bearman, the Haas man making it three rookies in the top 10.

Once again, the hour-long session descended into farce when a fifth red flag of the weekend for a trackside grass fire caused delays in Q2.

A fire fighter sprays the grass at the side of the track to dampen it (Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images)

After the latest incident had been dealt with, there was plenty of improvement across the board, meaning both Lawson and Tsunoda were eliminated.

Lawson will start a place ahead of his Red Bull replacement having gone 14th on his return to Racing Bulls, while Pierre Gasly, Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso also failed to make the top 10 shootout.

Lawson eked out of Q1 in 15th place, just 0.016s faster than the Sauber of Nico Hulkenberg, whose team-mate Gabriel Bortoleto was also eliminated.

Esteban Ocon, having finished fifth last time out in China, had to settle for 18th on the grid this time around having been unable to match the pace of Bearman in the sister Haas.

Lance Stroll endured a miserable session, running off at Dunlop Curve when on a flying lap and will start at the back, with the rebuilt Alpine of Jack Doohan alongside him after his huge shunt in FP2 on Friday.

F1 Japanese GP – Qualifying results

   
1
 - 
3
   
   
1
 - 
2
   
Cla Driver # Chassis Engine Time Tyres km/h
1 Netherlands M. Verstappen Red Bull Racing 1 Red Bull Red Bull

1'26.983

  240.336
2 United Kingdom L. Norris McLaren 4 McLaren Mercedes

+0.012

1'26.995

  240.303
3 Australia O. Piastri McLaren 81 McLaren Mercedes

+0.044

1'27.027

  240.215
4 Monaco C. Leclerc Ferrari 16 Ferrari Ferrari

+0.316

1'27.299

  239.466
5 United Kingdom G. Russell Mercedes 63 Mercedes Mercedes

+0.335

1'27.318

  239.414
6 Italy A. Antonelli Mercedes 12 Mercedes Mercedes

+0.572

1'27.555

  238.766
7 France I. Hadjar Racing Bulls 6 RB Honda

+0.586

1'27.569

  238.728
8 United Kingdom L. Hamilton Ferrari 44 Ferrari Ferrari

+0.627

1'27.610

  238.616
9 Thailand A. Albon Williams 23 Williams Mercedes

+0.632

1'27.615

  238.602
10 United Kingdom O. Bearman Haas F1 Team 87 Haas Ferrari

+0.884

1'27.867

  237.918
11 France P. Gasly Alpine 10 Alpine Renault

+0.839

1'27.822

  238.040
12 Spain C. Sainz Williams 55 Williams Mercedes

+0.853

1'27.836

  238.002
13 Spain F. Alonso Aston Martin Racing 14 Aston Martin Mercedes

+0.914

1'27.897

  237.837
14 New Zealand L. Lawson Racing Bulls 30 RB Honda

+0.923

1'27.906

  237.813
15 Japan Y. Tsunoda Red Bull Racing 22 Red Bull Red Bull

+1.017

1'28.000

  237.559
16 Germany N. Hulkenberg Sauber 27 Sauber Ferrari

+1.587

1'28.570

  236.030
17 Brazil G. Bortoleto Sauber 5 Sauber Ferrari

+1.639

1'28.622

  235.891
18 France E. Ocon Haas F1 Team 31 Haas Ferrari

+1.713

1'28.696

  235.694
19 Australia J. Doohan Alpine 7 Alpine Renault

+1.894

1'28.877

  235.214
20 Canada L. Stroll Aston Martin Racing 18 Aston Martin Mercedes

+2.288

1'29.271

  234.176
In this article
Mark Mann-Bryans
Formula 1
Max Verstappen
Red Bull Racing
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