Max Verstappen takes pole in Japan for the third straight year
Sainz qualifies in fourth; Hamilton and Russell of Mercedes to start from seventh and ninth respectively
Formula One world champion Max Verstappen took pole position for a third straight year at the Japanese Grand Prix on Saturday, with Sergio Perez qualifying second to ensure a Red Bull front-row lockout. McLaren’s Lando Norris will start Sunday’s race in third place.
Verstappen, who will be looking for a third straight victory in Japan, becomes the first driver to take pole in the opening four races of a season since Lewis Hamilton nine years ago.
“It was very close in the end, nevertheless most importantly to be on pole — of course you want every lap to be perfect but at a track like this it isn’t always the case,” the Dutchman said after setting the pace with a lap of one minute 28.197 seconds.
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz qualified in fourth with teammate Charles Leclerc frustrated by a difficult drive which will see him start back in eighth.
“That’s the best I can do. Honestly, I don’t get it,” Leclerc said over the team radio.
Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who celebrated his 23rd birthday on Saturday, finished in fifth and sixth respectively.
Biggest cheers Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, both of Mercedes, were seventh and ninth, with local hero Yuki Tsunoda getting one of the biggest cheers of the day sneaking into the final round of qualifying and starting 10th on Sunday.
The grid: Front row: Max Verstappen (Red Bull), Sergio Perez (Red Bull); Second row: Lando Norris (McLaren), Carlos Sainz (Ferrari);
Third row: Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin), Oscar Piastri (McLaren).
Fourth row: Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), Charles Leclerc (Ferrari).
Fifth row: George Russell (Mercedes), Yuki Tsunoda (RB).
Sixth row: Daniel Ricciardo (RB), Nico Hulkenberg (Haas).
Seventh row: Valtteri Bottas (Sauber), Alexander Albon (Williams); Eighth row: Esteban Ocon (Alpine), Lance Stroll (Aston Martin).
Ninth row: Pierre Gasly (Alpine), Kevin Magnussen (Haas).
10th row: Logan Sargeant (Williams), Zhou Guanyu (Sauber).