Red Bull Racing Team's and defending champion Max Verstappen took the top pole during the qualifying round of the Japan Grand Prix 2024 at Suzuka Circuit on Saturday, April 6. For the fourth time on the trot, the Dutch racer managed to take the pole position in the qualifying after Bahrain, Saudi Arabian and Australian Grand Priz in the ongoing F1 season.
It was comeback race for Max Verstappen since his shock exit from the main race of the Australian Grand Prix due to rear brake issue in his car. Meanwhile, Verstappen's Red Bull Racing teammate Sergio Perez finished the 2nd, while Lando Norris of McLaren will take the third pole position.
Verstappen took an early advantage since the qualifying 1 and finished the race +0.066 ahead of his teammate Sergio Perez.
Ferrari's Carlos Sainz, who finished on the top of the podium in his comeback race at the Australian Grand Prix, will begin the main race at number 4 pole position at the Japanese Grand Prix. He will be ahead of Aston Martin's Fernando Alanso and Oscar Piastri of McLaren, who will take the pole 5 and 6 in the main race.
Lewis Hamilton takes 7th pole position in qualifying
For the fourth successive race on the trot in qualifying, Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes failed to finish in the top of five as he took the seventh pole position in the qualifying round of the Japanese Grand Prix.
Hamilton is yet to achieve the podium finish in his farewell season with Mercedes team. In the main race, the legendary British driver will share the fourth row with his future Scuderia Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc. Hamilton's teammate George Russell will take the ninth pole position while home favourite Yuki Tsunoda will start his start from Pole 10.
Meanwhile, George Russell will be investigated by stewards for the pit lane incident. The 26-year-old barged into Oscar Piastri while leaving the pit lane during the qualifying 1. Piastri was heard saying 'Very Dangerous From Russell."
Daniel Ricciardo of RB will take the 11th pole positon after he was pushed into drop zone by Yuki Tsunoda at the end of qualifying 2. The Australian driver will share the sixth row with Haas F1 Team's Nico Hulkenberg, who finished the 12th in the qualifying.
Lance Stroll fail to achieve cut off time in Q1
Lance Stroll of Aston Martin had to make an exit in the Qualifying 1 as they failed to achieve the cut off cut-time. He had missed just six hundredths of a second to reach the Qualifying 2 of the Japanese Grand Prix. With this, Stoll will take the pole position 16 in the main race.
Alongside Lance Stroll, Pierre Gasly of Alpine Renault also exited from the qualifying 1 and will start the race from 17th pole position. Pierre Gasly is yet to past the first segment of the qualifying in the ongoing Formula 1 season.
Kevin Magnussen of Haas F1 will take the 18th Pole while WIlliams' Logan Sargeant and Zhou Guanyu of Kick Sauber will start the race from 19th and 20th Pole, respectively.
Sargeant crashed his car during the practice session and the front part of Williams chassis was damaged.
