F1: Verstappen Leads Red Bull 1-2 in Japanese GP Qualifying

Max Verstappen secured his fourth consecutive pole position as Red Bull returned to dominate the Japanese GP qualifying session following his unexpected retirement in the previous race. Verstappen's teammate, Sergio Perez, managed to secure P2, finishing less than a tenth of a second behind the Dutchman. Lando Norris put in an impressive performance to claim P3 for the McLaren team, ahead of his teammate Oscar Piastri, who secured P6.

Carlos Sainz Jr was once again the lead Ferrari driver, qualifying in P4. However, in the cooler conditions at Suzuka, Ferrari struggled to match the pace of the Red Bulls on the soft tyres. This issue was further highlighted by Charles Leclerc, considered one of the fastest qualifiers on the grid, who could only manage P8 after struggling through both qualifying sessions. Leclerc admitted that this was his worst qualifying performance of the season.

Despite Red Bull's dominant qualifying performance, there is hope that they may not run away with the race tomorrow, as their long-run pace on the medium tyres was not on the same level as Ferrari and Mercedes. Nevertheless, Mercedes, who showed an improved qualifying performance, could only manage P7 and P9 for Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, respectively. This marked the first time this season that the seven-time world champion outperformed Russell in qualifying. Russell, could also further slide behind, as his Mercedes is under investigation for an unsafe release from the stewards.

Leclerc who tails Verstappen by just 4 points in the world championship struggled

Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso secured P5 in the upgraded Aston Martin, significantly outqualifying his teammate Lance Stroll, who failed to make it to Q2 and finished in P16. Hometown hero Yuki Tsunoda managed to get Visa Cash App RB into Q3, securing P10, just ahead of his teammate Daniel Ricciardo, who qualified in P11.

Nico Hulkenberg was once again the lead driver for Haas, managing P12, while his teammate Kevin Magnussen could only manage P18. Valtteri Bottas secured P13 for the Stake F1 team, though his teammate Guanyu Zhou struggled, finishing in P20.

Alex Albon had a difficult session in the Williams, only managing P14, while Logan Sargeant in the other Williams car finished in P19.

Esteban Ocon managed to drag the Alpine through to Q2 but could only secure P15, though he did manage to beat his teammate Pierre Gasly, who finished in P17.

Overall, while Max Verstappen's impressive performance in qualifying to secure pole position was expected, it is evident that many teams have closed the substantial gap that Red Bull had over the grid. Importantly, Verstappen's teammate Perez was within striking distance with his P2 finish. With the race pace of the Red Bull apparently slower than Ferrari and Mercedes, as alluded to by Perez in the post-qualifying interview, an interesting race could be on the cards. Furthermore, with the possibility of rain, an additional variable could be added to the race.

Qualifying Results:

1. Max VERSTAPPEN 1:28.197

2. Sergio PEREZ +0.066

3. Lando NORRIS +0.292

4. Carlos SAINZ +0.485

5. Fernando ALONSO +0.489

6. Oscar PIASTRI +0.563

7. Lewis HAMILTON +0.569

8. Charles LECLERC +0.589

9. George RUSSELL +0.811

10. Yuki TSUNODA +1.216

11. Daniel RICCIARDO 1:29.472

12. Nico HULKENBERG 1:29.494

13. Valtteri BOTTAS 1:29.593

14. Alexander ALBON 1:29.714

15. Esteban OCON 1:29.816

16. Lance STROLL 1:30.024

17. Pierre GASLY 1:30.119

18. Kevin MAGNUSSEN 1:30.131

19. Logan SARGEANT 1:30.139

20. Guanyu ZHOU 1:30.811