Max Verstappen secured pole position for the Japanese Grand Prix after setting a 1m 26.983 – a new track record.
The reigning world champion stunned the McLarens at the Suzuka Circuit to go just 0.012s faster than Lando Norris. Oscar Piastri was only 0.044s behind Verstappen.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc secured fourth on the grid, with George Russell completing the top five. Lewis Hamilton had to settle for a disappointing eighth.
It was a disastrous first qualifying session for Red Bull for Yuki Tsunoda, who will start his home race from P15 – one position behind Liam Lawson.
Check out the full results below!
Result Qualifying - Japanese
Don't miss out on any of the Formula 1 action thanks to this handy 2026 F1 calendar that can be easily loaded into your smartphone or PC.
Download the calenderMost read
In this article
Join the conversation!