Red Bull in a different league in Japan, Verstappen on pole position
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Max Verstappen was the quickest driver in qualifying and claimed pole position at 2024 Japanese Grand Prix. Verstappen's fastest lap time was a 1:28.197, and he was 0.066 seconds quicker than Sergio Perez, who finished in P2. It was Lando Norris who rounded off the Top 3 in Suzuka.
After the first runs in Q3, it was already clear that Max Verstappen will qualify on pole position in Japan, but in the end, Sergio Perez did manage to stay close to the Dutchman on Saturday. It was the fourth time this season that the defending champion will start on pole position. Lando Norris did well and finished third ahead of Carlos Sainz.
Fernando Alonso had a great session, and was close to the front throughout the day, as the Spaniard finished fifth while his teammate Lance Stroll got eliminated in Q1. Oscar Piastri finished sixth ahead of Lewis Hamilton and a frustrated Charles Leclerc. George Russell will be investigated by the stewards after qualifying for an unsafe release in Q1, but for now, he remains in P9 ahead of Yuki Tsunoda, who just managed to outqualify his teammate, Daniel Ricciardo.
Q2
The two Red Bulls were also in a league of their own in Q2 at Suzuka. Max Verstappen and Perez quickly secured their place in the final session of Saturday. The Top 7 drivers after their first laps did not even enter the track because they were so certain of qualifying.
The two Mercedes did participate in the final run, but that is because they did their first laps on used softs, Lewis Hamilton even finished the session in P3. It was Yuki Tsunoda who earned the final spot in Q3, after beating his teammate by 0.055 seconds.
OUT - P15 Ocon, P14 Albon, P13 Bottas, P12 Hulkenberg, P11 Ricciardo
Q1
It was a straightforward first session of qualifying in Japan, as the only incident was an unsafe release by Mercedes which almost led to Russell giving a birthday push into the pit lane wall to Oscar Piastri. Verstappen was the quickest in Q1 ahead of Alonso and Perez, as his time was already faster than his pole position winning one from a year ago.
While Alonso finished second, Lance Stroll got eliminated in Q1, after Valtteri Bottas, Esteban Ocon, and Albon all survived with great laps. As a result, five teams’ drivers found themselves in the drop zone, including Pierre Gasly, Kevin Magnussen, Logan Sargeant, and Guanyu Zhou.
OUT - P20 Zhou, P19 Sargeant, P18 Magnussen, P17 Gasly, P16 Stroll