Qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix didn't promise any surprises, according to the first images; it seemed that McLaren was going to do what was necessary at Suzuka. But suddenly, Max Verstappen appeared out of nowhere...
As a result, an orange car immediately took the lead in Q1, behind which the very strong George Russell also claimed his place throughout the weekend. Ultimately, Russell's momentum lasted until the end of the stage, so he finished this phase in second place, behind Oscar Piastri and ahead of Lando Norris. Among those eliminated were the names of the two Stake, Esteban Ocon, Jack Doohan and Lance Stroll.
Q2 was able to begin, where we already noted an interesting fact: the other Red Bull also seemed competitive! Yuki Tsunoda had already driven laps in the second phase, but due to a mistake, he was already out of the running for Q3. Thus, paradoxically, he was eliminated behind Liam Lawson... At the front, nothing special happened, Norris dominated this phase, while Russell and Max Verstappen tried to make up ground. The list of eliminated drivers mentioned above will be completed by the names of Pierre Gasly, Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso.
The only big question in Q3 remained whether Russell or possibly Verstappen could outsmart McLaren and steal pole position. After the first few fast laps, that didn't seem realistic, as Piastri was comfortably ahead of Verstappen and Charles Leclerc. But we don't know Max Verstappen as someone who doesn't show how to pull off an extra performance. The Dutchman put in an incredible lap, accomplishing the "impossible," and narrowly edged out the McLarens. This means he'll be able to start tomorrow's Japanese Grand Prix from pole, ahead of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri!
Photo: PlanetF1/Fox Sports
