In a surprising twist at the Japanese Grand Prix, Max Verstappen secured pole position at Suzuka for the fourth consecutive year, leaving McLaren in his wake despite their dominating presence throughout the weekend.
McLaren, having topped every session leading up to Q3, seemed the favorite for pole. Oscar Piastri initially led Q3 with Max Verstappen trailing by a quarter of a second. However, Verstappen was determined, saying, “I’m going to give it everything in that last run.” This determination paid off, as McLaren’s pace stagnated, allowing Verstappen an opportunity to pounce.
Piastri clocked a 1m27.052s on his first run, improving only marginally. Meanwhile, Norris shaved off half a second despite a messy start to the final qualifying segment. When comparing the final laps, data reveals that Verstappen’s superior straight-line speed was crucial. He reached 325km/h by the end of the pit straight, surpassing Norris and Piastri, gaining an immediate advantage into Turn 1.
Piastri’s small error at Turn 2 increased his deficit through the Esses, while Verstappen navigated the section despite understeer, maintaining a slim lead. Norris recovered some ground by the hairpin, but Verstappen’s top speed advantage re-emerged at Spoon. Verstappen’s ability to brake later into the final chicane was decisive, reclaiming over two tenths, ultimately clinching pole by 0.012s.
After the session, Verstappen noted the importance of the final chicane, stating, “On the previous run, I missed the first kerbstone on the inside, so I knew I could improve that section — and that was basically my lap.” Despite the pole, Verstappen acknowledged McLaren’s formidable race pace, hinting at a challenging race ahead.
Despite McLaren’s early dominance, Verstappen’s razor-sharp focus and Red Bull’s straight-line speed secured his unexpected pole at Suzuka, setting the stage for an exciting race showdown.
