Verstappen secures his first pole position since the 2024 Austrian Grand Prix, three rookies reach Q3 and Sainz misses out on Q3 at consecutive races for the first time in four years. Here are the facts and statistics from qualifying at the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix!
VERSTAPPEN ON POLE AT THE 2025 JAPANESE GRAND PRIX
Max Verstappen took pole position for the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix, securing the 41st pole of his career. This will be the first time Verstappen will start from pole position since the 2024 Austrian Grand Prix, as well as his first front row start since the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix.
This was Verstappen’s fourth consecutive pole position at Suzuka. Verstappen becomes the third driver, after Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel, to secure four successive poles at the track.
Verstappen became the seventh driver to record pole positions in seven consecutive Formula 1 seasons.
Verstappen secured pole position by 0.012 seconds – the fourth smallest pole margin in Suzuka’s history on the calendar. The top three on the grid were separated by 0.044 seconds.
Setting a lap time of 1:26.983, Max Verstappen set a new Track Record at Suzuka, beating Sebastian Vettel’s previous record from 2019 of 1:27.064.
IN THE TOP TEN
Setting the second fastest time, Lando Norris qualified on the front row at the Japanese Grand Prix for the first time having qualified third in the last two seasons.
With fourth place, Charles Leclerc secured his best qualifying result since qualifying fourth for the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix.
George Russell maintained his record of qualifying in the top five at every race in 2025, setting the fifth fastest time in Q3 at the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix.
This was Russell’s best qualifying result to date at Suzuka, having never previously qualified in the top seven. It was the first time since his first appearance here in 2019 that Russell out-qualified his team-mate.
Qualifying sixth for the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix, Kimi Antonelli recorded the best qualifying result of his career to date.
This was the first time since 2019 that both Mercedes drivers qualified in the top six for the Japanese Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton qualified eighth for the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix – his worst qualifying result at Suzuka since 2012.
With Leclerc fourth and Hamilton eighth, Ferrari qualified in the same positions for the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix as they did in 2024.
Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri all maintained their 100% Q3 appearance records at Suzuka in qualifying for the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix. They were joined in the group by Kimi Antonelli, Ollie Bearman and Isack Hadjar, who all reached Q3 on their first appearances at the track.
After two Q1 exits in the first two races, Ollie Bearman reached Q3 at the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix. He out-qualified team-mate Esteban Ocon for the first time.
This was the first Q3 appearance of Bearman’s career. He recorded Haas’ first Q3 appearance at Suzuka since 2019.
Isack Hadjar reached Q3 for the second race in a row and qualified seventh for the second race in a row.
With seventh place, Hadjar recorded the Red Bull junior team’s best qualifying result at Suzuka since Brendon Hartley qualified sixth for the 2018 Japanese Grand Prix.
Qualifying ninth for the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix, Alex Albon maintained his 100% Q3 appearance record in 2025.
Albon became the first Williams driver to reach Q3 at Suzuka since Felipe Massa qualified ninth for the 2017 Japanese Grand Prix.
ELIMINATED IN Q2
Carlos Sainz qualified 12th for the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix, failing to reach Q3 at Suzuka for the first time since 2018. He was later demoted to 15th on the grid after picking up a three-place grid penalty for impeding Lewis Hamilton.
Sainz missed out on Q3 at two races in a row for the first time since the 2021 Hungarian and Belgian Grands Prix.
This was the first time since 2015 that both Williams drivers qualified in the top 12 for the Japanese Grand Prix.
For the third race in a row, Fernando Alonso exited in Q2. This was the first time since 2018 that Alonso failed to reach Q3 at Suzuka.
This was the first time since 2019 that neither of the Silverstone-based team’s drivers reached Q3 at Suzuka.
Pierre Gasly exited in Q2, making this the fourth year in a row that he failed to reach Q3 at Suzuka.
With 14th place, Liam Lawson recorded his best qualifying result of the season so far, making it out of Q1 for the first time in 2025.
For the first time this season – and on his first appearance with Red Bull – Yuki Tsunoda failed to reach Q3. Qualifying 15th, this was his worst qualifying result since setting the 16th fastest time in qualifying for the 2024 Italian Grand Prix.
This is the first time since 2008 that Red Bull have not recorded a double Q3 appearance at any of the first three races of the year.
This was only the second time in the last 14 races at Suzuka that a Red Bull driver failed to reach Q3.
OUT IN Q1
With Nico Hulkenberg qualifying 16th and Gabriel Bortoleto 17th, Sauber recorded their fifth double Q1 exit at Suzuka – their first here since 2023. It was their first double Q1 exit at any race since the 2024 United States Grand Prix.
Hulkenberg recorded his third Q1 exit at Suzuka, having previously been out in Q1 at the Japanese Grand Prix in 2018 and 2023.
Esteban Ocon was eliminated in Q1 at the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix. This was the first time since his first appearance here in 2016 that Ocon was out in Q1.
Ocon made this the fourth season in a row that a Haas driver has qualified 18th for the Japanese Grand Prix.
Jack Doohan qualified 19th for the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix. It was his first back row qualification since his debut at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
With 19th place, Doohan recorded the worst qualifying result for the Enstone-based team at Suzuka since Emanuele Pirro qualified 22nd with Benetton at the 1989 Japanese Grand Prix.
After a mistake on his final lap, Lance Stroll recorded his fifth Q1 exit at Suzuka, equalling Marcus Ericsson for the most Q1 eliminations at Suzuka.
This was the fourth year in a row that Stroll exited in the first stage of qualifying at the Japanese Grand Prix.
The 2025 Japanese Grand Prix is the first time since the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix that Stroll set the slowest lap time in qualifying. It was the first time Stroll has been slowest in qualifying at Suzuka. His previous worst result here was 19th place in 2022.
This was the worst qualifying result for the Silverstone-based team at Suzuka since Tiago Monteiro qualified 21st for Spyker at the 2006 Japanese Grand Prix.
