By 12 thousandths of a second: Verstappen beats McLaren at Suzuka

An extraordinary Max Verstappen set a new track record at Suzuka with a time of 1:26.983, enough to secure pole position in a qualifying session where McLaren seemed to have all the advantages. The winning margin was minimal: just 12 thousandths over Lando Norris and 44 thousandths ahead of Oscar Piastri, in one of the closest qualifying sessions in recent years.

We tried our best to find the ideal balance with the car, but it wasn't easy. In each session we implemented small improvements and I think that made the difference. The final lap was right on the limit.

Young talents shine at Suzuka

The qualifying session for the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix showed the potential of the new generation of drivers. Andrea Kimi Antonelli achieved his best Formula 1 qualifying result with sixth place for Mercedes, while Isack Hadjar impressed with seventh position for Racing Bulls.

Oliver Bearman also had a standout day by qualifying tenth with Haas, completing his best Saturday of the season so far. The 20-year-old British driver has adapted quickly after his stint with Ferrari earlier in the season as a substitute.

Unlike his rookie counterparts, Jack Doohan continues to struggle at Alpine. The Australian could only qualify in nineteenth position, one day after suffering a significant accident during free practice.

Hamilton and the new reality at Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton secured eighth place in his Ferrari, finishing nearly three tenths behind his teammate Charles Leclerc, who will start fourth. The seven-time world champion continues to adapt to his new team after his historic move from Mercedes.

The car's balance improved during qualifying, but we're still lacking pace compared to those ahead. We know we have work to do, but we're progressing in the right direction.

Tsunoda disappoints in Red Bull debut

The big negative surprise was Yuki Tsunoda's elimination in Q2 during his first qualifying session as an official Red Bull driver. The Japanese driver, who received the promotion after his strong results with Racing Bulls, could only manage fifteenth fastest time, finishing behind Liam Lawson, the very driver who replaced him at his former team.

Sainz penalized and Stroll in trouble

Carlos Sainz, now at Williams after leaving Ferrari, received a three-place grid penalty for impeding Hamilton during Q2. The Spaniard had originally qualified twelfth but will drop to fifteenth on the starting grid.

Lance Stroll completed a weekend to forget so far with last place in qualifying. The Canadian Aston Martin driver suffered an off-track excursion that compromised his final lap, continuing his disappointing run of results this season.

Ferrari and Mercedes aim to close the gap

Charles Leclerc secured fourth place for Ferrari, two tenths off pole position, while George Russell finished fifth after a mistake on his final lap prevented him from fighting for higher positions.

We had the pace to be in the top three, but small mistakes cost us some tenths. The race pace looks promising, so tomorrow we'll try to move forward.

Session-by-session analysis

Q1 was dominated by Oscar Piastri with a time of 1:28.143, beating Russell by five hundredths. Verstappen reported grip issues while Hadjar struggled with seatbelt problems, describing his car as "undriveable".

Among those eliminated were the Kick Sauber drivers Hulkenberg and Bortoleto, Ocon with Haas, a disappointing Doohan in Alpine, and Stroll after his gravel excursion.

Q2 saw Norris set the fastest time with 1:27.146, ahead of Russell and Verstappen. The session was briefly interrupted by a small fire at the edge of the track. Gasly, Sainz, Alonso, Lawson and Tsunoda were the drivers who failed to advance to the final stage.

In the decisive Q3, Piastri initially took the provisional lead before being overtaken by his teammate Norris. However, Verstappen had an ace up his sleeve and with a perfectly executed lap managed to snatch pole position by the smallest of margins.

The race will begin on Sunday at 14:00 local time (07:00 GMT), with all eyes on the battle between Red Bull and McLaren for victory at one of the most technical and demanding circuits on the calendar.