Qualifying Report - Verstappen takes Suzuka pole ahead of McLaren pair

Max Verstappen, Japanese GP 2025
© Red Bull

Max Verstappen delivered a masterclass in qualifying to secure pole position for the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix, narrowly beating McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in a thrilling session at Suzuka. The reigning world champion clocked a blistering 1m26.983s to not only grab pole but also set a new track record, marking his fourth consecutive pole at this iconic circuit.

Despite McLaren dominating the practice sessions, Verstappen found his rhythm when it mattered most. Norris came agonizingly close, finishing just 0.012 seconds behind the Red Bull driver. The British driver will join Verstappen on the front row for Sunday’s race, while his teammate Piastri starts third. The Australian, fresh from his win in China, continues to show strong form and starts alongside Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari, who will line up fourth.

Mercedes showed promise earlier in the weekend, but couldn’t maintain the momentum. George Russell qualified fifth, while young teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli impressed again with sixth place on only his third Grand Prix weekend. Antonelli briefly threatened to upset the front-runners but ultimately slotted in behind the lead cars.

The star of the session was arguably Isack Hadjar, who stunned the paddock by putting his Racing Bulls car seventh on the grid. The French rookie delivered a standout performance, especially considering he reported a cockpit issue during Q1.

Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, will be disappointed with his showing. The seven-time world champion could only manage eighth, struggling to find balance in his Ferrari. He starts just ahead of Williams’ Alex Albon and Haas rookie Oliver Bearman, who continued his solid run with a top ten qualifying performance.

Qualifying was once again disrupted by bizarre incidents, as Suzuka saw its fourth red flag of the weekend due to trackside grass fires.

There was drama for Red Bull’s second seat storyline as well. Liam Lawson, making a return to Racing Bulls after the controversial swap with Yuki Tsunoda, outqualified the Japanese driver in front of his home crowd. Lawson will start 14th, with Tsunoda 15th. Both failed to make Q3, along with established names like Carlos Sainz, Pierre Gasly, and Fernando Alonso.

Further down the order, Esteban Ocon, who finished fifth in China after penalties reshuffled the order, had a poor outing and will start 18th. Lance Stroll’s difficult season continued as he ran off at Dunlop and will start from the back row in 20th. Jack Doohan, who suffered a major crash in FP2, starts 19th after Alpine managed to rebuild his car overnight.

With the grid set and Suzuka always delivering unpredictable action, all eyes now turn to whether McLaren can challenge Verstappen for victory, or if Red Bull’s star man will dominate once again on a track he’s made his own in recent years.