Max Verstappen dominates with 4th pole in a row at Suzuka | Japanese Grand Prix Qualifying Results 2025

After six red flags across three practice sessions for grass fires, Qualifying at the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix was on fire but for a different reason: the teams stretched their wings and pushed for pace. Here's the rundown:

• Isack Hadjar complained again of cockpit issues which appeared for the first time during FP3. It was thought that Laurent Mekies and team addressed the issue with him during that session, but in Q1 his car was parked in the garage to try and fix it. He was caught wincing on camera as they made adjustments, and he radioed shortly after "If this is what ruines our Qualufying, just so you know I'm very sorry."
• Lance Stroll ran through the gravel trap and took with him any chances of making it into Q3, although the car escaped without damage. He finished P20 in the session
• Another red flag fell in Q2 due to a grass fire. Drivers were lucky in that no one was on a flying lap, so the issue was quickly addressed and the session resumed
• Hometown hero Yuki Tsunoda fell short at the end of Q2, finishing P15 and even being outqualified by Liam Lawson by one position. Mercedes gave Kimi Antonelli an additional push lap to make it into Q3, whereas Red Bull only gave Yuki one shot
• Q3 kicked off with teams throwing times on the board in rapid fashion. George Russell showed real pace but it was Oscar Piastri who dominated the track and ended the first set of laps up 0.226s from his nearest competitor, Max Verstappen
• But it all came down to the final seconds. Lando Norris put up an incredible lap time, sitting provisionally on pole. It would have been his 11th career pole had it not been for Max Verstappen who crossed the line to snatch pole by 0.012s
• Max Verstappen's pole marks his 4th in a row at Suzuka and his first since the 2024 Austrian Grand Prix. His lap time of 1:26.983 set a new track record, with Gianpiero Lambiase saying, "pure class, mate. Pure class."

Following the session, Williams' Carlos Sainz was handed a 3-place starting grid penalty for impeding Lewis Hamilton during a push lap. FIA stewards deemed Williams had ample time to determine the Ferrari was on a push lap and failed to warn Carlos who stated he was caught offguard and unable to see Hamilton in his mirrors.

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Japanese Grand Prix Qualifying Results

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