P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Another imperious qualifying performance from Max Verstappen who continues his perfect start to the season, landing Red Bull its 99th pole position in F1.
Max Verstappen secured his fourth consecutive pole position for Red Bull in the F1 Japanese Grand Prix qualifying, marking the team’s 99th pole in F1 history. Verstappen edged out teammate Sergio Perez by a mere 0.066s on the Suzuka grid, resulting in the team’s 27th front-row lock-out. McLaren’s Lando Norris claimed third place, with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz in fourth, and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso alongside McLaren’s Oscar Piastri on the second row. Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and George Russell will start seventh and ninth, respectively, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc expressing frustration at starting eighth. Yuki Tsunoda of Red Bull starts 10th, while a battle for position ensued between teammates in Q2, with dramatic shifts in the leaderboard as the session progressed.
