Japanese Grand Prix qualifying: Verstappen takes ‘insane’ pole in track record

Four-time world champion Max Verstappen smashed the track record to snatch pole position for Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris, as Yuki Tsunoda qualified a lowly 15th in his Red Bull debut. A blistering lap of one minute, 26.983 seconds in his Red Bull put Verstappen 0.

012 seconds ahead of championship leader Norris, with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri third. Verstappen set a new Suzuka track record with his final lap in Saturday’s qualifying, pipping Norris right at the death. “Each session we kept making little improvements, then the last lap was flat-out,” said Verstappen, who has won the Japanese GP for the last three years.



“In a Formula One car around here is insane. This is a proper highlight for us to be back on pole here.”.