Suzuka, Japan – April 5, 2025 – Max Verstappen delivered a jaw-dropping performance in the final moments of qualifying for the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix, snatching pole position from the clutches of a dominant McLaren duo with a lap that left the Formula 1 world in awe. The four-time world champion’s time of 1:26.983 not only secured his 41st career pole but also set a new lap record at the iconic Suzuka Circuit, cementing his reputation as one of the sport’s all-time great qualifiers.
Coming into the weekend, Red Bull had been grappling with a tricky RB21 car, one that Verstappen himself described as difficult to balance. Throughout practice, McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri had set the pace, with the papaya-colored cars looking untouchable. By the time Q3 rolled around, it seemed a foregone conclusion that one of the McLaren drivers would claim pole—Piastri had topped the first runs with a 1:27.052, and Norris appeared to seal the deal with a blistering second effort. But Verstappen, ever the maestro, had other plans.
“I told myself to just send it,” Verstappen said after the session, a grin spreading across his face as he reflected on the lap. “In some places, I wasn’t even sure if the car would stick, but it did. It was fully committed, and honestly, it was a lot of fun.”
His words echoed the sentiment of a driver who thrives on the edge, and at Suzuka—a track that punishes even the slightest mistake—his precision and bravery were on full display.
The lap itself was a masterclass. Verstappen carried extra speed through the treacherous Turn 1, gaining a crucial hundredth of a second, and navigated the flowing esses with surgical accuracy. By the time he blasted through the high-speed 130R and nailed the final chicane, he had pipped Norris by a mere 0.012 seconds, with Piastri just 0.044 seconds back in third.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner called it “one of the best laps in qualifying ever,” while Verstappen’s race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, simply radioed, “That is insane.”
What makes this pole even more remarkable is the context. Red Bull had struggled in the opening races of the 2025 season, with McLaren emerging as the team to beat. Verstappen’s new teammate, Yuki Tsunoda, making his debut for the senior team at his home grand prix, could only manage 15th—highlighting just how much of the lap was down to Verstappen’s sheer talent.
“The car isn’t where we want it to be,” Verstappen admitted. “We’ve been trying everything to improve the balance, and it’s still not perfect. But to get pole here, against the run of form, feels very special.”
The paddock was equally stunned. Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, watching from the media pen, marveled at Verstappen’s ability to extract magic from a car that’s “clearly not at the level to fight for pole.”
“He’s the best right now,” Alonso said. “That lap was only down to him.”
Meanwhile, Norris, who leads Verstappen by eight points in the drivers’ standings, was gracious in defeat.
“My lap was very good,” he said. “I don’t think I could’ve gone quicker. Max just pulled something incredible out of the bag.”
For Verstappen, this pole marks his fourth consecutive P1 start at Suzuka, a track where he’s been unbeatable in qualifying and the race since 2022. It’s also his first pole since Austria in 2024, a drought that had raised questions about Red Bull’s competitiveness. But if Saturday’s performance is anything to go by, the Dutchman remains a force to be reckoned with, even in a car that’s less than ideal.
As the grid lines up for Sunday’s race, all eyes will be on whether Verstappen can convert this “insane” lap into a victory. With McLaren’s race pace looking formidable and rain forecast to potentially shake things up, the challenge ahead is immense. But if there’s one thing Verstappen proved today, it’s that you can never count him out—not when he’s driving on the limit, and certainly not at Suzuka.
Ride along with Max in his insane qualifying lap!
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