Max Verstappen delivered a pole position out of nowhere to mark Red Bull’s final Japanese GP with Honda power in style.

He will be joined on the front row by McLaren’s Lando Norris, his team-mate Oscar Piastri P3, on a Saturday in Suzuka where Verstappen quashed what was looking like a McLaren battle for pole, with Yuki Tsunoda managing P15 only in the sister Red Bull on debut in front of his home fans.

Japanese GP: Max Verstappen on pole, Tsunoda last in Q2

After two more grass fires in the final practice session, marshals had been out trying to dampen the grass further to avoid repeats, traffic cones even doubling up as water carriers for the effort.

But, now it was time for the acid test on their work, as qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix got underway.

Ferrari and McLaren were the first of the expected big hitters to get a time on the board, a 1:28.2 from Norris putting him P1 early doors, with Lewis Hamilton taking an alternate strategy route by using medium tyres rather than softs.

A six-tenths deficit to Leclerc suggested that gamble was not going to pay off.

As Verstappen slotted in a tenth behind Norris, Piastri hit the front, the theme continuing of very little separating the McLaren drivers, the gap less than a tenth.

But, just as Verstappen complained over the radio that “it’s like the tyres are not gripping at the front”, Russell split the McLarens, continuing to look strong at the wheel of the Mercedes W16 in Suzuka.

Isack Hadjar meanwhile was having a rough time in the VCARB, as a loose seatbelt continued to cause problems.

“Mate, I don’t know what’s wrong with me, man,” he said over the radio. “I mean, I can’t focus. I have so much lap time to find, but it’s just not driveable.”

The discomfort was clear on Hadjar’s face when he returned to the garage and his crew started pulling and prodding to get that belt into place.

Hamilton had been in for a set of softs, but after a fresh push lap for he and Leclerc, the deficit was still four-tenths, even with a scruffy final sector for Leclerc.

Lance Stroll, Hadjar, Kimi Antonelli, Fernando Alonso and Liam Lawson needed a better time to avoid Q1 elimination, as Hadjar told his team “I’m very sorry” in advance if this belt issue proved the reason why he did not make Q2.

“Mate, the issue is still here, I can’t believe it! Can’t believe it.” That next message from Hadjar did not offer much hope.

But, the Frenchman dug deep and hauled himself into Q2, as Stroll, Doohan, Esteban Ocon, Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg bowed out in a session topped by Piastri.

For the first time this season, Lawson was through to Q2 upon his return to Racing Bulls from Red Bull.

Key Japanese GP talking points

👉 Uncovered: The puzzling DRS data that adds to Doohan’s mystery crash

👉 Uncovered: Aston Martin’s diffuser, Sauber floor and more tech secrets

The opening flurry of Q2 runs saw Norris a comfortable P1, two-and-a-half tenths up on Russell and three-tenths clear of Verstappen, while Yuki Tsunoda had work to do if he was to make Q3 at the first attempt with Red Bull.

But, we interrupt this programme for your regularly-scheduled grass fire. Out came the red flags to halt the session with the grass alight on the inside of 130R.

Unlike during the five red flags periods for grass fires during practice, this time the clock was stopped at 8 minutes and 26 seconds to go in Q2.

With the grass fire put out and cars back out on the track, the scene was set for the final Q2 runs, something which Norris passed on as he remained in the garage.

Norris remained P1 until the end, as Tsunoda, Lawson, Alonso, Carlos Sainz and Pierre Gasly were eliminated. Outqualified by the driver he replaced at Red Bull and P15 on the grid, it was a bitter disappointment for Tsunoda in front of his home crowd.

Hamilton and Sainz meanwhile were noted over a Turn 1 impeding incident, as the stewards announced a post-session investigation.

Hamilton – looking to start a final push lap – had been forced to take evasive action after encountering a slow-moving Sainz through the high-speed first turn.

But, while Sainz was out, Hamilton was in for the final stage of qualifying as the quest for pole position at Suzuka began.

And the opening runs saw Piastri comfortably on provisional pole, two-tenths up on Verstappen.

Leclerc and Russell would form the second row as it stood, but another shot at that P1 grid slot remained.

Piastri’s 1:27.052 was a new Suzuka lap record, beating Sebastian Vettel’s 1:27.064 from 2019, an early birthday present ahead of turning 24 tomorrow. Japanese Grand Prix pole would be the icing on the cake.

After a torrid opening run, Norris was threatening to boot his McLaren team-mate off pole with his final effort.

Norris went P1, but then Verstappen did! Piastri could not respond, meaning out of nowhere, Verstappen was on pole for the Japanese Grand Prix! And with the new lap record for good measure. Norris joins him on the front row.

Q3 times

1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 1:26.983 2 Lando Norris McLaren +0.012 3 Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.044 4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.316 5 George Russell Mercedes +0.335 6 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +0.572 7 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls +0.586 8 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +0.627 9 Alexander Albon Williams +0.632

10 Oliver Bearman Haas F1 Team +0.884

Q2 times

1 Lando Norris McLaren 1:27.146 2 George Russell Mercedes +0.254 3 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.356 4 Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.361 5 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.409 6 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +0.464 7 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +0.493 8 Oliver Bearman Haas F1 Team +0.565 9 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls +0.629 10 Alexander Albon Williams +0.637 —- 11 Pierre Gasly Alpine +0.676 12 Carlos Sainz Williams +0.690 13 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +0.751 14 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls +0.760

15 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull Racing +0.854

Q1 times

1 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:27.687 2 George Russell Mercedes +0.156 3 Lando Norris McLaren +0.158 4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.233 5 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +0.255 6 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.256 7 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull Racing +0.280 8 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +0.281 9 Pierre Gasly Alpine +0.499 10 Carlos Sainz Williams +0.522 11 Alexander Albon Williams +0.531 12 Oliver Bearman Haas F1 Team +0.541 13 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls +0.591 14 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +0.650 15 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls +0.867 —- 16 Nico Hulkenberg Kick Sauber +0.883 17 Gabriel Bortoleto Kick Sauber +0.935 18 Esteban Ocon Haas F1 Team +1.009 19 Jack Doohan Alpine +1.190

20 Lance Stroll Aston Martin +1.584

Read next: Norris clarifies ‘only team with two good drivers’ comment in Japan