Verstappen stuns McLaren with Japanese record-breaker: 'That is insane!'

Max Verstappen roared to a fourth straight Japanese Grand Prix pole position, setting the all-time fastest lap of Suzuka on an "insane lap."

Verstappen's 1:26.983 is the fastest-ever lap at Suzuka and was enough to deny McLaren pair Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri a third straight pole position, with just 0.044s between the trio, but ultimately in the Dutchman's favour. 

It came after McLaren had dominated practice and qualifying up until the second Q3 runs, where Verstappen's lap was called "insane" by engineer Gianpiero Lambiase as he recorded a 41st career pole. 

Charles Leclerc was fourth for Ferrari with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli on the third row for Mercedes as Lewis Hamilton could only take eighth for Ferrari.

Home favourite Yuki Tsunoda was 15th for Red Bull, with Liam Lawson in 14th. 

Full report available below!

Q3

After the first Q3 runs, Piastri held provisional pole on a 1:27.052s, breaking Sebastian Vettel's all-time track record of a 1:27.064s from 2019. 

Verstappen slotted into second place, some 0.226s slower with Norris 0.467s slower down in fifth place. 

On the final laps, Piastri failed to improve his time after a mistake at Turn 2 as Norris rallied to snatch P1 from his team-mate on a 1:26.995s, some 0.057s faster than the Australian. 

However, Verstappen was still completing his lap, which came in at the 1:26.983 to earn a first pole of the season - and race engineer Lambiase to call it "insane" as 0.044s seperated the the top three.

Tsunoda out in Q2

Q2 was suspended with 8:26 left on the clock after a fifth fire of the weekend broke out on the grass to the inside of 130R.

After the delay, the session resumed with Liam Lawson out-qualifying Yuki Tsunoda following their brutal swap between Red Bull and Racing Bulls. 

Lawson pipped the home favourite to 14th place with Tsunoda in 15th as both failed to make it through to Q3, although it was a first Q2 appearance of the season for the Kiwi. 

They were joined in the elimination zone by Pierre Gasly in 11th, Carlos Sainz in 12th, and Fernando Alonso in 13th for Aston Martin - whose near quarter of a century wait for a Suzuka poll will last until 2026 at the earliest.

Norris topped the segment for McLaren, with Russell and Verstappen slotting in behind after Piastri made a mistake at the exit of the second Degner on his first flying lap. 

Sainz's 12th place could be at risk after appearing to impede Hamilton between Turns 1 and 2 after a late flying lap was aborted from the Ferrari after being blocked.

Q1

The major talking point in Q1 was Hadjar's ongoing problems with the seatbelt issue in his cockpit that was causing him pain. 

The Racing Bulls driver reported that he "couldn't focus" and that the problem had been ongoing since FP3. 

In the end, he made it through to Q2, as did new team-mate Lawson, who became the 15th and final driver to advance into the second stage.

With the final flying lap of the segment, Lawson went 0.016s faster than the Stake of Nico Hulkenberg to dump the German out in a double Q1 elimination after Gabriel Bortoleto also fell, along with Esteban Ocon. 

The back-row of the grid will be made up of Jack Doohan for Alpine and Aston Martin's Lance Stroll, who made a mistake on his final flying lap by running wide through Turn 6 and skating through the gravel. 

Up front, Piastri topped the segment from Russell and Norris with Hamilton fifth after being the only driver to complete their first run on the medium tyre.