WORLD CHAMPION Max Verstappen took pole position for the Japanese Grand Prix on Saturday, stunning the McLarens with a late flying lap to put his Red Bull at the front of the grid for the fourth year in a row at Suzuka.
The McLarens of championship leader Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have dominated qualifying so far this season and looked like doing so again until Verstappen conjured up a lap record of one minute 26.983 seconds at the end of the session.
Briton Norris was 0.012 seconds behind and will start on the front row beside the Dutchman, while Australian Piastri, who won in China two weeks ago, will be on the second row alongside Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.
“A lot of happiness when I crossed the line,“ said four-times world champion Verstappen, who has won from pole at Suzuka for the last three years.
“The whole qualifying, we just kept on just trying to improve the situation a bit, and then the final lap was very good.
“I think if you look at how our season started, even during this weekend, I think it’s very unexpected. I think that makes it a very special one.”
It was Verstappen's 41st pole but a first since the Austrian Grand Prix in June last year, although he was fastest in qualifying later in the season in Qatar only to be handed a one-place penalty.
“Congrats to Max. He did a good job. It’s hats off. You have to credit someone when it’s a lap that good,“ said Norris. “I feel I got everything out of the car. Just a tiny (margin) but Max did an amazing lap.”
George Russell was disappointed with a spot on the third row in fifth place alongside his Mercedes teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli after showing good pace in practice.
“We are definitely there or thereabouts to fight for the podium, maybe not the win,“ Russell said. “But with changeable conditions, who knows?”
Japan's Yuki Tsunoda qualified a disappointing 15th for his first race in the Red Bull car after replacing Liam Lawson last week. Lawson will start a spot ahead of him for Racing Bulls.
“I didn’t expect to be like this -- how I ended up like that today,“ said Tsunoda. “So it’s a shame but at least the positive is I started to understand about the car.”
Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar overcame a seatbelt problem early in qualifying and will start the race from seventh on the grid alongside Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton in eighth.
“Not good enough from my side. P8 is not great,“ said seven-times world champion Hamilton.
“Charles did an amazing job. We went in different directions with set-up. I genuinely love the rain so I hope it comes tomorrow after a qualifying like that.”
Another rookie to impress was Haas's Ollie Bearman, who got into the third qualifying session for the first time and will start in 10th place on the fifth row along with Alex Albon of Williams.
“This track is a joy,“ said teenager Bearman. “I loved every moment and the car was responding to everything I did which is always a good feeling. I had so much fun. I think we can stay in the top 10 tomorrow.”
Despite preventative measures being employed by organisers, the action was stopped for the fifth time in two days by a trackside grass fire in the second qualifying session.
“I think with the rain overnight, I don’t think it will be as big a problem tomorrow,“ said Piastri.
