In a thrilling display of speed and skill, Formula One world champion Max Verstappen clinched pole position for the third consecutive year at the Japanese Grand Prix on Saturday. His teammate, Sergio Perez, secured a close second, ensuring a Red Bull front-row lockout for Sunday’s race.
Verstappen dominated the qualifying session, setting a blistering pace with a lap time of one minute 28.197 seconds, edging out Perez by a mere 0.066 seconds. His achievement marks the first time since Lewis Hamilton’s dominance nine years ago that a driver has claimed pole position in the opening four races of a season.
The Dutch driver expressed his satisfaction, stating, “It was very close in the end. Nevertheless, most importantly to be on pole – of course, you want every lap to be perfect but at a track like this it isn’t always the case.”
Meanwhile, McLaren’s Lando Norris impressed with a strong performance, securing the third spot on the grid, just 0.292 seconds behind Verstappen. Reflecting on his qualifying run, Norris remarked, “We had a good car today, we could fight. We are trying to catch up to the Red Bulls, but they are doing a good job so hats off to them.”
However, it wasn’t smooth sailing for all drivers. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc struggled, ending up in eighth place for Sunday’s start. Frustrated by his performance, Leclerc voiced his disappointment over the team radio, saying, “That’s the best I can do. Honestly, I don’t get it.”
In a dramatic turn of events, Mercedes incurred a 5,000-euro fine for an unsafe incident during qualifying when George Russell nearly collided with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri in the pit lane. Despite the setback, Lewis Hamilton remained optimistic, noting improvements in the team’s performance. “It’s actually the first weekend I have not gone crazy with setup… It’s been really enjoyable driving. It’s just the guys are just a little bit faster,” he remarked.
Local favourite Yuki Tsunoda delighted fans by securing a spot in the final round of qualifying and will start 10th on Sunday. His impressive performance once again overshadowed his more experienced teammate, Daniel Ricciardo.
