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F1 Japan GP LIVE: Qualifying result as Carlos Sainz receives penalty after Max Verstappen takes stunning pole
Follow reaction from Suzuka as Verstappen takes pole away from McLaren at the end of a thrilling qualifying
Max Verstappen produced an incredible lap to stun McLaren pair Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri and claim a shock pole position for the Japanese Grand Prix.
McLaren have won both races so far this season – one each for Norris and Piastri – and had set the pace by topping all three practice sessions this weekend.
Verstappen’s Red Bull has been off the pace throughout practice, with the four-time world champion saying he was lacking confidence in his car ahead of qualifying. But the Dutchman showed his quality when it mattered to beat Norris by just 0.012 seconds.
Piastri will line up from third on his birthday on Sunday, ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Lewis Hamilton struggled to find pace for Ferrari and will start Sunday’s race from eighth.
Follow latest updates from the Japanese Grand Prix with The Independent
TOP-10 IN QUALIFYING
1. Max Verstappen - 1:26:983
2. Lando Norris +0.012
3. Oscar Piastri +0.044
4. Charles Leclerc +0.316
5. George Russell +0.335
6. Kimi Antonelli +0.572
7. Isack Hadjar +0.586
8. Lewis Hamilton +0.627
9. Alex Albon +0.632
10. Ollie Bearman +0.884
Max Verstappen on radio:
GP: “That is insane, pole position!”
MV: “Yes let’s go! What a lap, yes guys! Yeah, I’m really happy!”
CH: “Pure class!”
Max Verstappen takes pole position!
Out of nothing, Verstappen takes pole!
Lando Norris thought he’d done it at the end, before a magic final sector from the Dutchman - 0.012 secs ahead of Norris overall!
That is a massive shock!
3-10: Piastri, Leclerc, Russell, Antonelli, Hadjar, Hamilton, Albon, Bearman
Q3 finale coming up!
All 10 drivers out there on new soft tyres then for these final runs!
I think the order could shake-up big time here... 2:00 to go in Q3!
Oscar Piastri on provisional pole!
Gosh, bit of a shock after the first laps!
Piastri on provisional pole with a 1:27:052, two-tenths ahead of Max Verstappen in second!
Lando Norris down in P5! What happened to the Brit?! He’ll have one more chance...
3-10: Leclerc, Russell, Norris, Hamilton, Hadjar, Bearman, Albon, Antonelli
6:00 to go in Q3...
Q3 underway!
Here we go then for the top-10 shootout in Suzuka!
10 drivers involved: Norris, Piastri, Hamilton, Leclerc, Russell, Antonelli, Bearman, Albon, Hadjar, Verstappen
Ollie Bearman upon hearing he's through:
“Oh my god nice!”
Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz will see the stewards - with Sainz potentially in trouble for impeding with Hamilton at turn 1!
Could well be a penalty for the Williams driver...
Yuki Tsunoda is out in Q2!
Disappointment for Yuki Tsunoda on his Red Bull debut - he’s only in P15! The slowest in Q2!
Yet Isack Hadjar and Ollie Bearman are through with stunning laps!
Current bottom-five (11-15) and out in Q2: Gasly, Sainz, Alonso, Lawson, Tsunoda
Top-3: Norris, Russell, Verstappen
Time for the top-10 shootout!
Charles Leclerc:
“First sector was rubbish from me.”
Leclerc P4 at the moment though...
Bottom-five (11-15): Sainz, Alonso, Bearman, Tsunoda, Lawson
3:00 to go in Q2...
Q2 back underway!
The fire has been put out and we’re back underway in Suzuka!
Lewis Hamilton in P6 still has work to do, while the top-3 is currently: Norris, Russell, Verstappen
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