Max Verstappen, the reigning Formula One world champion, has secured the pole position for the third consecutive year at the Japanese Grand Prix on Saturday. This was closely followed by Sergio Perez, ensuring a Red Bull domination of the front row. Verstappen clocked a lap time of one minute 28.197 seconds, which was 0.066 seconds faster than Perez, and became the first to secure pole position in the first four season races since Lewis Hamilton’s feat nine years prior.
However, Sunday’s race is likely to be more competitive, given that Lando Norris of Mclaren, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso are among the top five contenders, all within half a second of Verstappen. Verstappen expressed that securing the pole was of utmost importance, given the recent mechanical setback he encountered at the Melbourne race.
Finishing the qualifiers 0.292 seconds behind Verstappen is Norris, who managed second place in Suzuka last year and will begin Sunday’s race from the third spot. Norris praised his car’s performance and acknowledged the strong performance of Red Bull.
Sainz, the recent Australian Grand Prix victor, qualified fourth, while his team-mate Charles Leclerc grappled with a difficult drive putting him at the eighth position for Sunday’s race. Leclerc expressed his disappointment over the performance via the team radio.
Aston Martin’s Alonso and 23-year-old Oscar Piastri from McLaren finished the qualifiers in fifth and sixth places respectively. Meanwhile, Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell wound up in the seventh and ninth spots. Despite a season marred by technical hitches, Hamilton seemed hopeful, noting that he hadn’t had to overly experiment with the car setup this weekend and that he was enjoying the drive, despite others being slightly faster.
Mercedes team faced a €5,000 penalty during the qualifying round due to a potentially risky situation when Russell nearly bumped into Piastri on the pit lane as he exited his garage.
Yuki Tsunoda, the local favourite, received a massive applause when he made it through to the ultimate round of qualifying, securing a start from the 10th position on the upcoming Sunday. Remarkably, Tsunoda outdid Daniel Ricciardo, his more seasoned team member from RB, increasing the pressure on Ricciardo. The accomplished substitute driver, Liam Lawson, is also eyeing Ricciardo’s vulnerable position.
Tsunoda expressed relief at making it to Q3 in the presence of his home crowd, admitting to feeling enhanced pressure than the previous three years. He thoroughly relished the experience of performing before his local supporters.
Meanwhile, Lance Stroll, Alonso’s partner at Aston Martin, didn’t fare as well. He was eliminated in the initial round of qualifying and will have to begin from close to the end of the grid in the 16th position.
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