Max Verstappen showcased his talent by securing pole position for Red Bull in Suzuka, ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Charles Leclerc starts fourth for Ferrari, while Mercedes drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli occupy the fifth and sixth positions. Rookie Isack Hadjar is seventh, followed by Williams’ Alex Albon and Haas’ Oliver Bearman, with Albon’s teammate Carlos Sainz dropping to 15th due to a penalty. Home favorite Yuki Tsunoda will start from 14th in his debut for Red Bull, one spot behind Liam Lawson, the driver he replaced.
Max Verstappen has a deep affinity for Suzuka, evident from his remarkable pole lap achieved with Red Bull. The pressing question now is whether he can maintain his lead against McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri once the race begins in Japan.
Could Charles Leclerc play the role of the surprise contender from his position? The Ferrari driver starts fourth on the grid, ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton by four spots. In between the two Ferraris are the Mercedes pair of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, along with rookie Isack Hadjar driving the Racing Bulls machine.
REPORT: Verstappen secures an impressive pole position ahead of Norris and Piastri in Japanese GP Qualifying
Rounding out the top 10 are Alex Albon from Williams and Oliver Bearman representing Haas. Albon’s teammate, Carlos Sainz, was originally set to start in 12th but has received a three-place penalty for obstructing Hamilton during Qualifying.
As for local favorite Yuki Tsunoda? The Japanese driver will commence his first Grand Prix for Red Bull from P14, just behind the driver he replaced at the team, Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson.