Verstappen Stuns McLaren with Record-Breaking Qualifying at Suzuka
The qualifying session for the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix delivered a thrilling spectacle, culminating in a surprise pole position for Max Verstappen, who snatched the top spot from the dominant McLarens in the final moments. Verstappen’s blistering lap not only secured him pole but also broke the Suzuka track record with a time of 1m 26.983s
Q1:
The first qualifying session saw Oscar Piastri set the initial pace with a time of 1m 27.687s4. George Russell and Lando Norris followed closely behind. Lewis Hamilton, needing a second run on soft tyres, and Verstappen also made it through comfortably. Yuki Tsunoda qualified in seventh, while his Racing Bulls teammate Isack Hadjar also progressed. Notably, Lance Stroll found himself at the bottom of the timing sheets in 20th
Q2:
Verstappen upped his pace in Q2, setting a time of 1m 27.502s, placing him third after the initial runs behind Norris (1m 27.146s) and Russell (1m 27.400s)5. Alexander Albon put in a strong lap to secure fifth. Carlos Sainz narrowly missed out on Q3, and a potential penalty was under investigation for impeding Hamilton. Both Racing Bulls cars, including Liam Lawson, out-qualified Yuki Tsunoda6. A brief grass fire caused a red flag interruption during this session
Q3:
The final shootout saw Piastri initially break the track record with a lap of 1m 27.052s8. Norris couldn’t match his teammate’s time on his first run. Charles Leclerc then surprised many by slotting into third. However, in the dying moments, Norris set another record-breaking lap, seemingly securing pole. But Verstappen, on a truly special lap, went even faster, beating Norris by a mere 0.012 seconds to take pole position. Piastri couldn’t improve enough on his final attempt and would start third
Final Qualifying Order (Top 10):
1.Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 1m 26.983s1
2.Lando Norris (McLaren) – 1m 26.995s1
3. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 1m 27.027s1
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 1m 27.555s5
5. George Russell (Mercedes) – 1m 27.639s5
6. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 1m 27.711s5
7. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) – 1m 27.775s5
8. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 1m 27.610s5
9. Oliver Bearman (Haas) – 1m 27.711s5
10. Alexander Albon (Williams) – 1m 27.783s5
Driver Ratings:
Several sources provided driver ratings for the Japanese Grand Prix weekend, taking qualifying performance into account:
Max Verstappen: Received high praise for his exceptional qualifying lap, earning ratings of 10/1010 and 9/1011. His qualifying was described as “mega” and the key to his victory
Charles Leclerc: Was rated 9/1013 for out-qualifying both Mercedes and his teammate. Another source suggested an 8/10 might be more appropriate
George Russell: Scored 8/1013 for continuing his strong start to the year, although he lost out to Leclerc in qualifying.
Kimi Antonelli: Also received an 8/10 after recovering from practice struggles to qualify sixth.
Lewis Hamilton: His performance was considered “uninspiring and off the pace,” resulting in a rating of 6.5/10
Isack Hadjar: Impressed with a 9/1015, being the second-best Red Bull-backed driver and out-qualifying his idol, Hamilton.
Alex Albon: Earned an 8.5/1015 for another strong weekend, making it into Q3.
Lance Stroll: His poor qualifying, finishing 20th, led to a low rating of 3/10
Oscar Piastri: While initially setting the pace, a small error cost him pole, resulting in a 5/10 rating from one source, noting he was likely one qualifying error from back-to-back wins.
Lando Norris: Despite setting a record-breaking lap, Verstappen’s better time meant he missed out on pole. His rating wasn’t explicitly stated in all sources for the weekend, but his qualifying performance was clearly strong.
Yuki Tsunoda: Faced a “disastrous” first qualifying session for Red Bull, starting 15th, impacting his overall rating which was 7/10 according to one source, despite strong practice pace being undone by a Q3 error.
Conclusion:
The 2025 Japanese Grand Prix qualifying session was a nail-biting affair, showcasing the intense competition at the top of Formula 1. Verstappen’s stunning final lap stole the show, denying McLaren a seemingly certain front-row lockout. While the McLarens demonstrated impressive pace, crucial errors at the decisive moment proved costly. The midfield also provided intriguing battles, with young talents like Hadjar and Antonelli shining. With Verstappen starting on pole and the McLarens close behind, the stage is set for an exciting race at the iconic Suzuka Circuit.
