Max Verstappen produced a stunning lap to take pole position and pip the McLarens in Suzuka.
The Red Bull driver surprised even himself with one of the laps of his career to set up a tantalising race in Japan. Here are the winners and losers of the third qualifying session of the year.
Winners and losers from the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix qualifying
Winner: Max Verstappen
Where would Red Bull be without Max Verstappen?
The talk was of which McLaren driver would take pole, but as he has often done in the past, Verstappen proved he should never be ruled out.
A stunning lap, one that impressed even the driver himself, saw him pip Norris to pole in Verstappen’s first P1 since Austria.
The Dutchman’s race craft could prove pivotal with two McLarens behind him. Get ready for some sharp elbows.
Loser: Carlos Sainz
It may be flying under the radar compared to other major storylines, but Carlos Sainz is having a really difficult season so far.
He continues to be outdone by Alex Albon and has made it to Q3 just once this year.
To make matters worse, he picked up a three-place grid penalty for impeding Lewis Hamilton.
Winner: Liam Lawson
It was always going to happen, wasn’t it?
Demoted to the second seat after just two races and he returns to qualify ahead of the man who replaced him.
After two Q1 exits, Lawson needed a confidence-boosting performance and he got it in Suzuka.
He may still have been beaten by his team-mate, but it is a step in the right direction for the Kiwi.
Loser: Sauber
A promising start to the season has got worse and worse, resulting in Sauber’s first double Q1 exit of the year.
Nico Hulkenberg let out a big exhale on his way to the pits, suggesting he knew the car was beginning to lack against other competitors.
Winner: Oliver Bearman
Another impressive moment in the early F1 career of Oliver Bearman.
With experienced team-mate Esteban Ocon down in 18th, Bearman went up boe and beyond to put his Haas in the top 10.
It is the first time the 19-year-old has done so this season, and although it will be a fight, Bearman could make it back-to-back point-scoring races.
Loser: Yuki Tsunoda
P5. P9. P15.
No prizes for guessing which one came in the Red Bull.
Yuki Tsunoda became the latest driver to struggle in the Red Bull seat and qualified 15th, one spot behind Lawson.
To his credit, Tsunoda did not struggle as much as Lawson had done but there are still 14 places between the Red Bull drivers.
More reaction from the Japanese GP quali session
Where Verstappen ‘made the difference’ as Japan GP pole draws Norris reaction
Hamilton reveals ‘knock-on effect’ after ‘not good enough’ Suzuka qualy
Winner: Alex Albon
A celebratory “come on” was heard from Albon after a particularly quick lap as he made it three from three for Q3 appearances.
Albon has hit the ground running this season and is the lead contender of the ‘best of the rest’ pack.
16 points so far puts him sixth in the standings and his P9 in quali hints he could add to his tally.
Loser: The FIA
A persistent problem reappeared in quali as the grass next to the track set on fire, like it had done multiple times before.
A lack of rain in Japan meant the area around the circuit dried out so much that even the smallest spark could set it ablaze.
It interrupted Q2 and, if the FIA could not solve it in a day with four instances, it suggests we could see more disruptions in the race on Sunday.
Read next: F1 starting grid – What is the grid order for the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix?
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