SUZUKA – Three-time world champion Max Verstappen won the qualification for the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka ahead of Red Bull colleague Sergio Pérez. The Dutch pilot will start from pole position in the fourth race of the season on Sunday.
Verstappen did not finish the last Grand Prix in Australia and did not win for the first time after nine triumphs in a row, but in Suzuka, the Red Bull stable dominated again. He dominated qualifying with a time of 1:28.197 and beat Pérez by 66 thousandths. The third Lando Norris from McLaren was already behind by almost three-tenths.
He did what Hamilton did
“It was very close until the end. Of course, you want every lap to be perfect, but it just doesn’t always work out on a track like this,” Verstappen said. He dominated the opening four qualifications of the season as the first driver since Lewis Hamilton nine years ago.
Twenty-six-year-old Verstappen will aim for his third consecutive victory in the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday. In the current standings of the championship, he is four points ahead of Charles Leclerc from Ferrari, who will start the race from eighth place.
An angry Leclerc had nothing more to do
“I had nothing more to do. And to be honest, I don’t understand it,“ said an angry Leclerc on the radio.
The second pilot of the Italian team and the winner of last year’s race in Australia, Carlos Sainz, will start in fourth position. “I hope we will fight with Red Bull in the race, because it didn’t work out in qualifying,” said Sainz.
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes took seventh place in qualifying. His teammate George Russell was ninth, but the German team was fined 5,000 euros for his dangerous exit from the pits.
The Japanese Grand Prix will start at seven o’clock CEST on Sunday.
results of qualifying for the Japan F1 GP: 1. Max Verstappen (Hol./Red Bull) 1:28.197 min, 2. Sergio Perez (Mex./Red Bull) +0.066 s, 3. Lando Norris (V. Brit./McLaren) +0.292, 4. Carlos Sainz Jr. (Sp./Ferrari) +0.485, 5. Fernando Alonso (Sp./Aston Martin) +0.489, 6. Oscar Piastri (Aus./McLaren) +0.563, 7. Lewis Hamilton (V. Brit./Mercedes) +0.569, 8. Charles Leclerc (Mon./Ferrari) +0.589, 9. George Russell (V. Brit./Mercedes) +0.811, 10. Juki Cunoda (Japan/Racing Bulls) +1.216