F1 Qualifying Results: Verstappen STUNS McLaren pair with record lap to take dramatic pole

Max Verstappen and Lando Norris in Austin — Photo: © IMAGO

Japanese Grand Prix Qualifying

F1 Qualifying Results: Verstappen STUNS McLaren pair with record lap to take dramatic pole

All the times from the Japanese Grand Prix qualifying session

Chris Deeley

Saturday 5 April 2025 09:25 Updated: 16:11

Max Verstappen ripped pole position away from Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri with a stunning late lap in Japanese Grand Prix qualifying on Saturday morning.

The reigning champion showed that no amount of car dominance can keep the McLarens safe from him, pumping in an incredible lap record to edge out the title favorites just just thousandths of a second.

F1 RESULTS TODAY: Verstappen roars again as Hamilton's Ferrari struggles continue in Japan

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Further down the field, Liam Lawson could only go 14th on his third Racing Bulls 'debut', but will be buoyed by the fact that he beat out his Red Bull replacement Yuki Tsunoda by a single place.

Kimi Antonelli qualified sixth, his best starting position so far in Formula 1, with a great lap which put him right up behind his team-mate and two places ahead of Mercedes legend Lewis Hamilton.

Isack Hadjar struggled for the second session in a row with seatbelt issues, in obvious pain in a particularly sensitive area while mechanics were adjusting his setup in the pits and apologizing to his team on the radio – although he did enough to qualify seventh in a fantastic display of bravery.

F1 Qualifying Results: Japanese Grand Prix 2025

Position	Driver	Team	Time/Gap
1	Max Verstappen	Red Bull	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	Alex Albon	Williams	+0.632
10	Ollie Bearman	Haas	+0.884