Verstappen takes Suzuka pole

World champion Max Verstappen has secured pole position for the Formula 1 race in Japan. The Dutch Red Bull driver relegated championship leader Lando Norris of McLaren to second place after a stunning lap at the end of qualifying.

05 April 2025

From: apa/sn

For Verstappen, it was his first pole of the year and his 41st overall. "Yeah, what a lap," he happily shouted over the radio at the Suzuka Circuit. Oscar Pastri finished third in the second McLaren.

Verstappen, who had already secured pole position on the grid and subsequently won the race in each of the previous three years, complained about a lack of grip on his Red Bull's front tires during qualifying. But at the last minute, he still demonstrated his exceptional performance. "That was crazy," said his race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase.

Hülkenberg and Doohan out quickly – Tsunoda weak

Nico Hülkenberg experienced disappointment. The only current German Formula 1 driver, the Kick Sauber, was eliminated in 16th place in the first knockout round. "It was a bit difficult to find the right balance," Hülkenberg said. Since the wind also shifted midway through the session, his car was "tricky to drive."
Verstappen is the World Championship pursuer

Yuki Tsunoda finished his home GP on the grid in 15th place. © APA/afp / TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA

Australian Jack Doohan, who had suffered a serious accident the day before, was also quickly eliminated in the Alpine, finishing second to last. In front of his home crowd, Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda also clearly missed the final knockout round, finishing 15th on his first Grand Prix weekend since his promotion to Red Bull.

After two of 24 Grand Prix races, Norris (44) leads the World Championship standings. The Englishman is eight points ahead of Verstappen, nine ahead of Mercedes driver George Russell, and ten ahead of Piastri.