Verstappen takes pole but to face stewards

Max Verstappen has gone fastest in Qualifying for the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix, but it remains to be seen if he’ll start Sunday’s race there.

The Dutchman bested Charles Leclerc by 0.01s at the end of the three-part session but will front the stewards for a moment with Lando Norris in Qualifying 3.

While the Red Bull driver warmed his tyres, Lando Norris was forced to take avoiding action at high speed as they rounded 130R.

The outcome of that investigation could see the championship leader lose pole position.

As Qualifying began, work was feverishly being carried out on Leclerc’s Ferrari as the session got underway.

Yuki Tsunoda was the first to set a lap, recording a 1:31.631s to open the Qualifying hour.

It wasn’t a time that stood for long, with Lando Norris the first to go faster before being bettered by both Red Bulls.

The pace stood at 1:30.224s for Verstappen, Carlos Sainz moving within touching distance on his first flying lap with 1:30.336s.

George Russell and Lewis Hamilton logged their first laps on the medium compound tyres, an approach which failed to net strong enough times to ensure their safety.

They were both forced into a second run, taking to the circuit out of sequence from the bulk of the field on a set of soft tyres.

That saw Russell rise to sixth and Hamilton eighth, the latter on a 1:30.906s, 0.05s slower than his team-mate.

The Qualifying 1 cut-off proved to be 1:31.256s, set by Sebastian Vettel, a time that eliminated Alex Albon, Pierre Gasly, Kevin Magnussen, Lance Stroll, and Nicholas Latifi.

Gasly was displeased with his team, complaining about the braking performance in his Scuderia AlphaTauri after running wide at the hairpin on his final lap.

He’d had similar concerns earlier in the session, as did Tsunoda who got through with the 12th fastest time.

Sainz was the first to set a lap as Qualifying 2 began, logging a 1:30.444s on a set of used tyres, versus a 1:30.486s for Leclerc completed his timed lap soon after.

Verstappen managed a 1:30.346s with his first timed effort, while team-mate Perez ould only manage a 1:30.702s.

An identical time was set by George Russell, though the Red Bull driver held the positional advantage given the Mexican had set his lap first. Fernando Alonso was just 0.001s faster to sit seventh after his first flying lap.

At Scuderia AlphaTauri, Tsunoda was still complaining about his brakes, the Japanese driver sitting 15th at the time, 1.1s off the pace of Mick Schumacher in 14th.

From fourth down, the field headed back out for a final flying effort in the closing minutes of Qualifying 2.

Valtteri Bottas sat 10th as they did so, with a best of 1:30.929s. Unable to improve, the Finn was eliminated (12th) as others improved.

Pushed out were Daniel Ricciardo, who set a 1:30.659smissed out by 0.003s, Tsunoda, Guanyu Zhou, and Schumacher.

Qualifying 3 saw nine of the remaining 10 runners head out, crawling around on their out lap.

Ocon (on used tyres) was the first to set a lap, a sluggish 1:31.106s that was immediately bettered by Perez, Sainz, and Leclerc.

Verstappen then completed his lap at 1:29.304s to move onto provisional pole by 0.253s over Leclerc, with Sainz just over a tenth further back.

That lap followed a moment for Norris on the out lap that saw the McLaren driver have to take to the grass to avoid the Dutchman as he rounded 130R.

The McLaren driver accelerated as the Red Bull ahead was warming its tyres, slaloming to the left as the Brit approached.

Norris got by via the grass in a close call that stewards promptly noted they’d investigate post-session.

Running out of sequence, Vettel had the circuit to himself as he completed his flying lap, recording a 1:30.554s.

Leclerc set a personal best first sector on his final flying lap, but so too did Perez and Sainz.

He then went purple through the middle of the lap, but could only improve to second best, a 1:29.314s, 0.01s slower than Verstappen.

Sainz was unable to better his team-mate, nor could Perez to remain fourth, confirming Verstappen on provisional pole.

Fifth went to Ocon from Hamilton, Alonso, Russell, Vettel, and Lando Norris.

Verstappen’s pole has an asterix however until the outcome of the stewards hearing is known, the outcome of which could bump him from top spot for Sunday.

Results: Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix, Qualifying