Max Verstappen Grabs Pole at Japanese GP for Third Consecutive Year

Max Verstappen secured the pole position at the Japanese Grand Prix for the third consecutive year, leading a Red Bull one-two with teammate Sergio Perez qualifying right behind him. Verstappen clocked in at one minute and 28.197 seconds, edging out Perez by a mere 0.066 seconds, marking the first instance of a driver claiming pole in the season’s first four races since Lewis Hamilton did so nine years ago.

Verstappen, aiming for redemption after a mechanical failure in Melbourne prevented him from finishing the race, commented on the tight competition but expressed satisfaction with clinching pole position despite the challenges of achieving perfection at Suzuka Circuit.

Lando Norris of McLaren will begin the race from the third spot on the grid, trailing Verstappen by 0.292 seconds, praising his car’s performance and acknowledging the Red Bulls’ superiority.

Carlos Sainz of Ferrari, the victor in Australia, secured the fourth position, while his teammate Charles Leclerc faced difficulties, resulting in an eighth-place start for Sunday’s race, expressing his frustration during the qualifying session.

Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin and Oscar Piastri of McLaren, who celebrated his 23rd birthday, qualified in the fifth and sixth positions, respectively.

Mercedes drivers, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, qualified seventh and ninth, while Yuki Tsunoda of AlphaTauri, to the delight of the local crowd, made it to the top ten, placing pressure on his teammate Daniel Ricciardo, whose performance has been under scrutiny.

Lance Stroll, Alonso’s teammate at Aston Martin, faced a disappointing qualifying session, being eliminated in the first round and will start the race from the 16th position on the grid.