P1racenews AI automatic summary:
F1 Japanese GP: Verstappen on pole as Red Bull locks front row
In the qualifying session, Red Bull’s drivers were able to improve their times in the second runs of Q3, while Ferrari struggled and Mercedes fell behind Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso. Verstappen secured pole position with a blazing 1m28.197s lap, outpacing his teammate Perez and McLaren’s Norris. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Alonso followed in fourth and fifth, respectively, with Hamilton finishing seventh for Mercedes. Charles Leclerc of Ferrari ended up eighth after a unique Q3 attempt with just one flying lap. Yuki Tsunoda impressed in Q2, eliminating his Red Bull teammate Ricciardo, while Bottas struggled and was knocked out in 13th. Albon, Ocon, and Russell face post-qualifying investigations for various incidents during the session.
