Max Verstappen produced a major upheaval to tear pole position for the Japanese Grand Prix of Lando Norris from McLaren and Oscar Piastri.
It had appeared throughout the weekend that the fact that the pole would be a formality for McLaren, whose drivers shared a post and win each in the first two laps of the 2025 season, but Verstappen de Red Bull came from nowhere to win them.
Piastri was clearly the fastest during the first races in Q3, before Norris seems to have torn pole with his second attempt, but Verstappen delivered a time of 1: 26.983 to take a fourth successive Suzuka pole while the first three were separated by less than half a second.
The remarkable nature of Verstappen’s effort was underlined by the new teammate of the quadruple world champion Yuki Tsunoda, only succeeded in 15th in his debut in Red Bull, ending a place behind Liam Lawson, the pilot with which he was changed racing bulls to the junior team.
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Liam Lawson overcome its replacement of Red Bull Yuki Tsunoda but both were eliminated in T2 of the Japan Grand Prix
Charles Leclerc took fourth for Ferrari, but Lewis Hamilton was three tenths of his teammate in an eighth eighth disappointing while the turbulent departure of the world champion seven times with the Italian team continued.
George Russell of Mercedes appeared the driver most likely to challenge the McLarens to qualify, but had to be satisfied with fifth after making a mistake on his last flight round. His recruit teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli took a sixth encouraging.
The recruit of Racing Bulls Isack Hadjar overcome apparent problems of the seat belt of which he expressed extreme distress by radio in the first stages of the session to take seventh.
Alex Albon was ninth for Williams, while the British recruit Oliver Bearman finished the top 10 after producing a very impressive performance to reach the third quarter.
More to follow …
Japanese GP schedule live from Sky Sports F1
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Here is your Paddock pass for the Japanese Grand Prix, joining Naomi Schiff while she shares a preview of Suzuka!
Sunday April 6
- 4:30 am: Japanese GP construction: Sunday Grand Prix *
- 6 am: The Japanese Grand Prix *
- 8 am: Japanese GP reaction: checkered flag *
- 9 am: Ted * notebook
* Live on the main event of Sky Sports
The formula is in the emblematic circuit of Suzuka for the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with now – no contract, cancel at any time
