Max Verstappen secured pole position for the Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka on Saturday, narrowly beating McLaren's Lando Norris by 0.012 seconds. The Red Bull driver delivered a strong final sector to claim his fourth consecutive pole at the track.
Norris' teammate Oscar Piastri, who had briefly held the top spot during Q3, ended up third. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc qualified fourth, followed by Mercedes' George Russell.
Verstappen's late surge came after a tense final round of qualifying, where Piastri had initially looked set to start from the front. "Pure class," said a Red Bull team member over the radio.
