Qualifying for the Japanese GP in Suzuka has just ended, featuring an increasingly unreachable Red Bull with Max Verstappen on pole. For him it is the 36th of his career and the 4th in a row, something that hasn't happened since 2015 with Hamilton. Protagonist, but not in the same way, Ferrari is struggling to find the perfect lap. Concluding the provisional podium, behind number 1, are Sergio Perez and Lando Norris.
Q1 of the Japanese GP: McLaren amaze
The first to go out in the first phase of qualifying are Nico Hulkenberg, the two Red Bulls and the Williams, recovering from chassis problems suffered in Australia, but above all in FP1.
Q1 is already starting with difficulty for the red with Carlos Sainz manages to climb to at least third position. There Red Bull it remains the strongest on the grid from the first laps, especially on the flying lap, unlike the race pace which - in free practice - also proved to be inferior to Ferrari.
McLaren manages to take third position with Lando Norris, proving to be a good rival for the other teams. THE first excluded of this session are: Lance STROLLPierre GASLY,Kevin MAGNUSSEN, Logan SARGEANT and Guanyu ZHOU.
Q2: the red car pays for the lack of preparation on the flying lap, breath-taking qualifying for the fans
In the second qualifying session – Q2 – of the Japanese GP, Red Bull e Hulkenberg they are the only ones to go below 1:31. FerrariHowever, fresh from the race pace tests in free practice (which turned out to be excellent), he was unable to find a solution to complete a perfect lap from the front. Charles Leclerc the first sector and the third sector pay. Despite the central fuchsia helmet, it doesn't get better. Thanks to an imperfect lap by Tsunoda, he manages to stay 9th and access Q3. For Yuki, who plays at home, the revenge is to do better than Ricciardo.
So as not to miss anything, the redhead of Sainz brake pedal problems arise. Hamilton he removes a few pebbles from his shoe, doing better than his teammate, George Russell, which does not excel in these qualifying sessions at Suzuka. In fact, Sir is 4th while his young compatriot is only 7th.
The excluded: Daniel RICCIARDO,Kevin HULKENBERG, Valtteri BOTTAS, Alexander ALBON and Esteban OR WITH.
Japanese GP qualifying, Q3: it's the 99th pole for Red Bull
Le Mercedes, a bit anonymous since the start of the 2024 season, manage to do some good first laps in the last qualifying session. Lewis Hamilton and George Russell monopolize the front row with a 1st and 2nd place. Positions immediately stolen by the rivals of each team, the rivals par excellence, the two RB20s. For Sergio Perez it is the 11th front row of his career and for the Milton Keynes team the 27th complete front row in history. This weekend of records and statistics for the reigning champions.
Carlos Sainz, despite the problems, still better than Charles Leclerc who today seems to have lost his flying lap magic. In fact, if the Madrilenian took third for the first moment, the Monegasque didn't leave the pits for the first 5 minutes. He loses at the chicane, at the serpentine, almost poisonous for the number 16. He places himself in 7th and then only drops to 8th, a difficult start for him.
Lando Norris he turns like a phenomenon, placing himself second, and then drops 3° and thus conclude the provisional podium of the 2024 Japanese GP.
