Max Verstappen secured a stunning pole position at the Japanese Grand Prix 2025, where he also set a new track record with a lap time of 1:26.983 at the Suzuka Circuit. This achievement marked his first pole position since June 2024 and came as a narrow win as Lando Norris was edged out by just 0.012 seconds.
His pole position will be a significant boost for both him and Red Bull Racing. This milestone marks the 41st career pole for the driver and comes at a crucial time when he definitely needs a morale boost after a challenging stretch where he has only won two out of 16 last races.
For Red Bull, his pole position reclaims the competitiveness in the Japanese Grand Prix despite recent struggles. The pole position claimed by Max Verstappen is extremely crucial in breaking McLaren’s winning streak this season, as they’ve won both of the previous Grand Prixs.
Sharing his insights on his win and his experience on the track, Max Verstappen said, “It was quite close at the end. Overall, this track is very sensitive with the tyres. The tarmac is really aggressive, and when you want to go to the limit, it doesn’t always work out. Nevertheless, most importantly, it’s to be on pole. Of course, you want every lap to be perfect but around a track like this, it’s not always the case.”
“Overall, a very good day and a good starting position for tomorrow, and tomorrow is what counts. It’s great as a team to be P1 and P2. Hopefully, we can keep that going for tomorrow,” he added
Meanwhile, for McLaren, this pole position comes as an unbelievable shock as both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri dominated the practice sessions and narrowly missed the pole to Max Verstappen. The duo had been topping all practice sessions, however, they were edged out by a minute difference on 0.012 and 0.044 seconds.
McLaren has been unstoppable this season, with each driver claiming a win in the first two races of the F1 2025 season. Despite missing out on the pole, both drivers will look for a win in the main race and will give a tough competition to Max Verstappen at the Japanese Grand Prix 2025.
Top 10 pole positions at the Japanese Grand Prix 2025
| Position | Driver | Car | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 1:26.983 |
| 2 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | 1:26.995 |
| 3 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes | 1:27.027 |
| 4 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:27.299 |
| 5 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:27.318 |
| 6 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:27.555 |
| 7 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT | 1:27.569 |
| 8 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:27.610 |
| 9 | Alexander Albon | Williams Mercedes | 1:27.615 |
| 10 | Oliver Bearman | Haas Ferrari | 1:27.867 |
Also Read: Japanese Grand Prix 2025: Start Times, Where To Watch In UK, US; Streaming Details
