FACTS AND STATS: Verstappen becomes the season’s fourth different polesitter as he sets new Suzuka lap record

Max Verstappen found the lap time when it really mattered to secure pole position for the Japanese Grand Prix, beating both McLaren drivers and blowing the Suzuka fastest lap record out of the water. Here’s a round-up of all the best facts and stats from the exhilarating Qualifying session…

• Verstappen became this year’s fourth different polesitter from four Qualifying sessions, joining Lando Norris (Australia), Lewis Hamilton (China Sprint), and Oscar Piastri (China GP).

• The Dutchman’s pole lap of 1m 26.983s is the fastest lap in Suzuka history and will see him start on the front row for the first time this season.

• He has not been beaten in either Qualifying or the Grand Prix at this circuit since 2019.

HIGHLIGHTS: Relive Verstappen's surprise pole in Japanese GP Qualifying

• His record of four pole positions in Japan is only surpassed by Sebastian Vettel with five, and Michael Schumacher with eight.

• Honda took pole at their home track in their final season working with Red Bull.

• McLaren topped every practice session as well as Q1 and Q2 this weekend, but Norris’ P2 effort will be the first time he has started on the front row at Suzuka.

• With Piastri starting in third, he qualified off the front row for the first time in 2025.

• Charles Leclerc has not started in the top four since Las Vegas last year.

• George Russell qualified in his lowest position of the season, but it will simultaneously be his best-ever start at this track.

• Just behind him, his team mate Kimi Antonelli claimed his best start of the year, putting both Mercedes in the top six at Suzuka for the first time since 2019.

READ MORE: Verstappen clinches stunning pole position ahead of Norris and Piastri in Japanese GP Qualifying

• Isack Hadjar will start from P7 for the second race in a row, which is also RB’s best performance in Japan since 2018.

• P8 will be Lewis Hamilton’s lowest start here since 2012.

• It was another promising performance from Williams as Alex Albon took P9, which will be the team’s first top 10 start here since Felipe Massa started in P8 in 2017.

• Ollie Bearman made Haas’ first Q3 performance of the season, securing their best start since 2019.

• Down in P11, Pierre Gasly missed out on Q3 by just 0.039s, with Carlos Sainz - who was later hit with a three-place grid penalty - a further 0.014s further back.

• Fernando Alonso took 13th place, his worst starting position at Suzuka since he qualified 18th back in 2018.

• In Liam Lawson’s first weekend back at Racing Bulls, he secured his highest start and first Q2 appearance of the season.

• His Red Bull replacement Yuki Tsunoda was outqualified by both of the sister team’s cars as he failed to reach Q3 for the first time this season.

• On the bright side, it was the first Q2 appearance by the second Red Bull car in 2025.

READ MORE: Tsunoda’s former boss hails ‘360 degree’ improvement from Japanese driver as he reveals the quality that will help him succeed at Red Bull

• Nico Hulkenberg was eliminated in Q1 for the second time in three races, with his Kick Sauber team mate Gabriel Bortoleto qualifying 0.052s behind him in P17.

• Haas’ Esteban Ocon was outqualified by his rookie team mate for the first time this year, taking an early exit in Q1 – the last time he didn’t progress to Q2 was 2016.

• Jack Doohan was knocked out in Q1 for the second consecutive race, claiming Alpine’s worst starting position in Japan since 2014.

• Rounding off the grid in P20, Lance Stroll failed to reach Q2 at Suzuka for the fourth consecutive year.

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