Verstappen leads Red Bull 1-2 in qualifying ahead of Japanese GP

Feature image credit: Red Bull Content Pool

Max Verstappen leads a Red Bull Racing front-row lock-out as the Dutchman edged out his teammate, Sergio Perez, by 0.066s for the Japanese Grand Prix.

Q1

When the pit exit light turned green, Haas’ Kevin Magnussen was the first and only car out on track. Naturally, he set the benchmark time to beat: 1m 31.203s. 

The rest of the field soon peeled out after Magnussen set the initial benchmark. 

Once the banker laps were secured, Verstappen topped the timing boards ahead of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Sergio Perez (Red Bull) who occupied second and third. 

With four minutes left on the clock, the majority of the field ventured back out onto the circuit with a handful of drivers remaining in their respective garages – notably the top three.

Eliminated: 

20 – Guanyu Zhou, Kick Sauber

19 – Logan Sargeant, Williams

18 – Kevin Magnussen, Haas

17 – Pierre Gasly, Alpine

16 – Lance Stroll, Aston Martin

Q2

The two Red Bulls pulled straight out of the pit lane and the two championship-defending cars had the Japanese circuit all to themselves temporarily. However, when their out laps were completed the rest of the field peeled out on track.  

When the banker laps were put on the board, Verstappen and Perez were incredibly close. The former set the fastest time on the board where his Mexican teammate put in a lap time that was 0.012s off. 

Williams’ Alexander Albon was the only driver who didn’t pull out onto the circuit to secure a banker lap – he came out for the final run. He was soon joined by Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg on the board without a time as the German driver exceeded track limits, at T13, and had his lap time deleted. 

With a handful of minutes left on the clock, half the field peeled out onto the circuit. The top seven drivers remained in their garages and luckily none were knocked out.  

Eliminated: 

11 – Daniel Ricciardo, RB

12 – Nico Hulkenbeg, Haas

13 – Valtteri Bottas, Kick Sauber

14 – Alexander Albon, Williams

15 – Esteban Ocon, Alpine

Q3

When the pit exit light turned green once more to signal the start of Q3, nine drivers of the 10 drivers pulled straight out onto the pit lane to get their first laps under their belts. 

Only Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc remained in the pit lane while the rest filtered out. 

However, when the bankers were secured, Leclerc pulled onto the circuit and he had it all to himself as the field pulled back into their respective garages. Leclerc’s time was only enough to put him eighth fastest despite a purple sector on his fast lap. 

Despite the final runs, Perez was not able to dethrone Verstappen from pole position but he was incredibly close as the #11 Red Bull found himself 0.066s behind. Norris rounded out the top three, nearly three-tenths off Verstappen’s pace.

Top 10: 

10 – Yuki Tsunoda, RB

9 – George Russell, Mercedes

8 – Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

7 – Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes

6 – Oscar Piastri, McLaren

5 – Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin 

4 – Carlos Sainz, Ferrari

3 – Lando Norris, McLaren

2 – Sergio Perez, Red Bull

1 – Max Verstappen, Red Bull

That’s all for the article; Verstappen leads Red Bull 1-2 in qualifying ahead of Japanese GP!

Read more Formula 1 here:

• Japanese GP: Verstappen fastest in uninterrupted FP3
• Piastri fastest in rain-affected Japanese GP FP2
• Verstappen fastest as Sargeant crashes in Japanese GP FP1
• Ricciardo looking forward to Suzuka return
• McLaren to run ‘Driven by Change’ livery for Japanese GP
• Alonso slapped with drive-through after Australian GP

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