It is what nobody expected. Max Verstappen moved all weekend between the room and the sixth, but the time of truth came and square the perfect return, without any better sector, but refining in each of them to bend to the McLaren and take the pole in the GP of Japan.
It is Max’s first this year and the first since Austria 2025, in July 2024. And without what defines the fastest car, the World Cup still dominates and is second this year. Norris and Piastri have to take many desserts even to even measure themselves as pilots to the Dutchman, who on a hand and risks, shows how he has a plus above mechanics and other pilots. Perhaps the best you have seen the story of F1.
Ferrari (especially Hamilton) has a problem
Ferrari, far from improving in the third test, has gone back, with fourth Leclerc enduring the time to 0.3 seconds of Verstappen, but with Hamilton, eighth and surpassed by Hadjar and with Albon stepping on the heels to thousandths. Mal English that remembers Australia’s again after the sprint oasis in China.
Q3, Japan GP 2025
1st M. Verstappen red bull 1’26 “983
2nd L. Norris McLaren 1’26 “995 +00” 012
3rd O. PIASTRI MCLAREN 1’27 “027 +00” 044
4th C. LECLERC FERRARI 1’27 “299 +00” 316
5th G. Russell Mercedes 1’27 “318 +00” 335
6th K. Antonelli Mercedes 1’27 “555 +00” 572
7th I. Hadjar Racing Bulls 1’27 “569 +00” 586
8th L. Hamilton Ferrari 1’27 “610 +00” 627
9th A. Albon Williams 1’27 “615 +00” 632
10th O. Bearman Haas 1’27 “867 +00” 884
Q2: New fire, Sainz 12º and Alonso 13th
After the first game of the second manga, a new and shameful fire of the grass arrived, this time in curve 15 in the entrance to the finish line. Sainz and Alonso were out, but there were 8 minutes left and a new attempt.
And for Sainz it could be worse, because he had to go to commissioners for not departing (although it is difficult to do it, at the exit of curve 1 to let Hamilton pass that he arrived in return, although he had no options to improve.
And with the break to extinguish the fire, the track worsened and few could improve their crons. Tsunoda stayed out, like Sainz, with the 12th time and Alonso with the 13th, despite slightly improving his times. Bearman, Hadjar and Albon got into Q3, like the only ones outside the greats.
Q2.fia times
Q1: Sainz spent tenth and Alonso as 14th
Piastri, Russell and Norris were in another novel for the rest, while Verstappen was sixth and seventh tsunoda, passing their first great test in Red Bull.
Carlos Sainz surpassed Albon for the first time in a qualy, by 0.009 and entered Q2 as eleventh, in what is a clear improvement for him.
And Alonso, when I thought it would have a more competitive AMR25 than in China, it seems that it is the opposite, it entered as 14th, but the last of Stroll denotes that Aston can be the worst car in this circuit. A drama
Results Q1 in Japan.fia
And Lawson finally, this time in RB could move on to Q2 as 15º, although behind Hadjar.