Red Bull driver Max Verstappen made it four pole positions out of four for the 2024 season so far with another impressive display during qualifying at the Japanese Grand Prix.
Verstappen led the way from Q1 to Q3 around the iconic Suzuka circuit to end up with a pole-setting time of 1m 28.197s, putting him just over half a tenth clear of team mate Sergio Perez, with McLaren’s Lando Norris completing the top three.
Verstappen beats Perez to pole by 0.066s in Suzuka as Norris seals P3
It was a scruffy session for Charles Leclerc, who used up more soft tyres than his rivals in the opening phase and then had just one run in the pole shootout, leaving him back in P8 on the grid.
Meanwhile, an incident involving George Russell and Oscar Piastri – the Mercedes being released into the path of the McLaren in the pit lane – is set to be looked at by the stewards following the session.
Watch highlights from qualifying at Suzuka in the video player above.
Next Up
Related Articles
Beyond The GridThe best of 2025, from Norris’ evolution to Brad Pitt’s ‘need for speed’
‘I hated this car at times’ – Verstappen on his 2025 season
Verstappen confirms new number for 2026 season
Vasseur says he misjudged impact of switching focus to 2026
3 inspiring individuals share their paths to working in F1
F1 CEO Domenicali reflects on 'phenomenal' 2025