Max Verstappen Takes Stunning Pole Ahead of Lando Norris at Suzuka

Red Bull's Max Verstappen snatched pole position from McLaren's Lando Norris at the Japanese Grand Prix, ending McLaren's qualifying dominance.

Max Verstappen stunned the competition by snatching pole position for the Japanese Grand Prix, edging out Lando Norris with a late flying lap. This marks the fourth consecutive year that Verstappen has secured pole at Suzuka, a feat that sets him up for a strong chance of repeating his previous victories from pole position.

The McLarens, driven by championship leader Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, had dominated qualifying for much of the season and appeared poised to do so again. However, Verstappen's incredible lap record of 1:26.983 seconds at the end of the session left them trailing. Norris ultimately finished 0.012 seconds behind Verstappen, securing a front-row spot alongside the Dutchman.

Oscar Piastri, fresh from his victory in China two weeks ago, will start on the second row alongside Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. Verstappen expressed his elation at securing pole, saying, “A lot of happiness when I crossed the line.” He reflected on the team's qualifying performance, noting, “The whole qualifying, we just kept on just trying to improve the situation a bit, and then the final lap was very good.”

Verstappen acknowledged that his pole position was unexpected, given the team's performance earlier in the season. He stated, “I think if you look at how our season started, even during this weekend, I think it's very unexpected. I think that makes it a very special one.” This sentiment highlights the significance of Verstappen's achievement and sets the stage for an exciting Japanese Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen secured his 41st pole position, and his first since the Austrian Grand Prix in June last year. Although he had shown impressive pace in Qatar later in the season, a one-place penalty had prevented him from taking pole. Verstappen's achievement was acknowledged by Lando Norris, who said, “Congrats to Max. He did a good job. It's hats off. You have to credit someone when it's a lap that good.”

Norris reflected on his own performance, stating, “I feel I got everything out of the car. Just a tiny (margin) but Max did an amazing lap.” Despite being narrowly beaten by Verstappen, Norris' front-row spot alongside the Dutchman sets him up for a strong chance of competing for the win.

George Russell will start from the third row in fifth place, alongside his Mercedes teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Russell had shown promising pace in practice but ultimately fell short of securing a higher starting position. He commented, “We are definitely there or thereabouts to fight for the podium, maybe not the win. But with changeable conditions, who knows?” Russell's cautious optimism reflects the unpredictability of the Japanese Grand Prix.

Japan's Yuki Tsunoda had a disappointing qualifying session, finishing 15th in his first race in the Red Bull car. Tsunoda had replaced Liam Lawson last week and struggled to adapt to the new car. He said, “I didn't expect to be like this - how I ended up like that today. So it's a shame but at least the positive is I started to understand about the car.” Tsunoda's comments highlight the challenges he faced in qualifying, but he remains optimistic about his growing understanding of the car.

Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar demonstrated impressive resilience in qualifying, overcoming a seatbelt issue early on to secure a seventh-place start on the grid. He will be joined on the fourth row by Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton, who expressed disappointment with his eighth-place qualifying result. “Not good enough from my side. P8 is not great,” Hamilton said.

Max Verstappen takes pole in Suzuka! 🇯🇵

A solid session for our Brits, with all making it into the top 10!

Norris will join Max on the front row in P2, with Russell P5, Hamilton P8, and Bearman P10 🇬🇧#f1 #JapaneseGP pic.twitter.com/hauDksY9E4

— Silverstone (@SilverstoneUK) April 5, 2025

Lewis Hamilton praised his teammate Charles Leclerc's performance, acknowledging that they had taken different approaches to their car setups. He also expressed his love for racing in the rain, hoping that wet conditions would prevail for the Japanese Grand Prix. “Charles did an amazing job. We went in different directions with set-up. I genuinely love the rain so I hope it comes tomorrow after a qualifying like that,” Hamilton said.

Spain's Carlos Sainz, driving for Williams, initially qualified 12th fastest but was subsequently penalized for impeding Hamilton during qualifying. As a result, Sainz was bumped down to 15th on the grid. Meanwhile, Haas rookie Ollie Bearman impressed by advancing to the third qualifying session for the first time and securing a 10th-place start on the fifth row, alongside Alex Albon of Williams.

The qualifying session was disrupted for the fifth time in two days due to a trackside grass fire, despite organizers' efforts to prevent such incidents. Oscar Piastri, who qualified third, downplayed concerns about the fire, suggesting that overnight rain would mitigate the issue. “I think with the rain overnight, I don't think it will be as big a problem tomorrow,” Piastri said.