What the teams said – Qualifying in Japan

Red Bull

Both Verstappen and Tsunoda reported a few car struggles in FP3, including some understeer, but they did expect to be in the top 10 come Qualifying. Verstappen made it through, but his team mate did not – Tsunoda tumbling in Q2. He couldn’t hook up his first lap, then made a mistake in Turn 2 on his second. Until that moment, Tsunoda had looked to be within touching distance of his team mate. But Verstappen can step it up when it matters, and he did just that on his final Q3 run. His team called it an insane lap and it looked it, the Dutchman nailing his effort to grab a slightly surprising pole position.

Max Verstappen, 1st, 1;26.983

“It’s been an incredible qualifying for us even though the weekend has been quite tough so far. We kept working and the changes that we made going into qualifying helped as we were lacking a bit of pace before. The car got a little better and we could attack the corners a bit more. During qualifying we kept trying to find little gains and drive to the limit meaning that we improved nicely, which made the difference today. Every lap that we did we built on and learned from. We maximised what we had, didn’t make any mistakes in the lap and it was a great result in the end. Pole was a surprise for everyone as so far this year we have not been the best on race pace, so I am very happy for the Team. Tomorrow the rain might make it a bit more of an interesting race and we will do our best to get the best possible result.”

Yuki Tsunoda, 15th, 1:28.000

“There’s some frustration today. I think the warmup didn’t go as I wanted for that final lap and it was pretty messy, especially in the first sector. We are still learning, and I thought the warmup was ok and we would maybe be a little compromised, but the penalty was pretty big. I thought we would be able to build from Q1 but that wasn’t the case. At least my confidence in the car feels good now, I just wasn’t able to put it together today and that is a shame. I think the positive is I have started to understand the car well. FP1 and FP3 felt good and I started well today, it was just that final lap, the car is quite sensitive on its tyres, and I started to feel that in Q2, the pace was there to get to Q3 and I need to be able to maximise it. My mindset all weekend has been to just enjoy the situation, the car, being with the Team, being at Suzuka, and I felt more calm than usual but at the same time I felt responsible to perform. It’s my home grand prix, so I will stay focussed tomorrow and try my best, a bit of rain could help us move through the field.”

Christian Horner, Team Principal

“An unbelievable lap from Max to take a fourth consecutive pole position here in Suzuka! We’ve turned the car upside down this weekend and Max has worked hard with his Team to get the car in the window. Collectively, they have done a great job and then Max went and nailed it. That was one of his best laps in qualifying ever, plus a new lap record; truly outstanding. It was a very well deserved, if not slightly unexpected pole. It was unfortunate for Yuki who just lost a couple of tenths in the first sector that cost him a chance of Q3. He’s settled in well and has been right there all weekend until that moment. He will race well from there tomorrow.”

McLaren

Norris topped FP3 from his team mate, with those two looking up for a tight fight for pole. Both made it through to Q3 with ease, as Piastri grabbed provisional pole – Norris dipping a wheel in the gravel to wreck his opening lap. But second time around, Norris felt he did extract everything. It just wasn’t enough to beat a storming lap from old foe Max Verstappen. As for Piastri, his final effort was a little scruffy and he had to make do with P3.

Lando Norris, 2nd, 1:26.995

"We can be happy with that. The team have done a great job this weekend and I feel that I got everything out of the car today. The final lap felt strong because I was on the limit. It’s going to be an exciting race, we’re both starting up at the front and the weather conditions are looking mixed. Max is going to put up a good fight, but we’ve been here before and I’m looking forward to tomorrow."

Oscar Piastri, 3rd, 1:27.027

"It’s good to get both cars up there in the top three today. I felt good through much of Qualifying, and especially at the start of Q3 but that last lap didn’t quite come together as I wanted, so there was a little bit left on the table. We said coming into the season that there were going to be incredibly tight margins and today proved that.

"It’s all to play for tomorrow and we’ve got a great car. We don’t know what the weather’s going to do, but we’ve been quick on both dry and wet tracks already this year, so we should be up there fighting for the win. Let’s see what we can do."

Andrea Stella, Team Principal

"It’s been a good afternoon overall in which we’ve been competitive with both cars in every Qualifying session. We looked like we were on the way to Pole Position when Max managed to pull off what looks like a near-perfect lap – so credit to Max.

"On our side, we are still happy. P2 and P3 are good starting positions for the race tomorrow, during which the weather may offer some variables. The job before then is to prepare for all scenarios, and make sure we can capitalise on the car’s performance in race trim that has looked very strong so far this year in both wet and dry conditions."

Ferrari

Ferrari certainly looked in the mix all day long, without setting the timing screens alight. Hamilton opted for the mediums for his first run in Q1, before swapping to the softs. That combined with Leclerc’s tidy effort meant both had two sets of fresh soft tyres for Q3. But neither could extract much pace on their opening runs. With it all to do, Hamilton still couldn’t hook up his lap but Leclerc did, to bag a spot on the second row.

Lewis Hamilton, 8th, 1:27.610

"It was a challenging Saturday for us. We made some changes to the car ahead of qualifying which, unfortunately, didn’t deliver the improvements we were aiming for. The car felt more balanced in the earlier stages, but I experienced significant understeer in Q3 which led to a couple of small mistakes that cost us.

"This result isn’t a true reflection of the car’s potential. There’s performance to be found and the team has been working incredibly hard behind the scenes. We’ll analyse the data overnight and do everything we can to come back stronger in the race."

Charles Leclerc, 4th, 1:27.299

"I put everything into my best lap in Q3 and there was nothing more we could have got out of the car today. P4 is not a satisfying result and we have to keep working to close the gap to McLaren and Red Bull, with the target of getting back to winning races. As a whole however, it has been a positive weekend so far. I feel a lot more comfortable in the car after the changes we made to the set-up yesterday, which also gave me confidence behind the wheel going into Qualifying. I’m looking forward to seeing how it will feel in the race tomorrow, and depending on the weather conditions, to test this approach over a race distance."

Fred Vasseur, Team Principal

"It was a decent quali for Charles, even if I feel we were in the game from the start and then didn’t put everything together in Q3. Lewis struggled a bit more there, after having a similar pace to Charles in Q1 and Q2. McLaren is still a step ahead, so we must continue to push to develop the car more.

"It is difficult to predict what we can do in the race, as the forecast is for rain, at least overnight, which could be our first experience of a wet track this weekend. Even if it’s dry, but the wind changes direction, here at Suzuka that means we will find a very different track. Overall, I feel we made a step ahead in qualifying and we must continue to work in this direction in the race to reach the targets we have set ourselves."

Mercedes

Russell looked quick again in final practice, and impressed in the early stages of Qualifying. But when everyone upped the anti late on in Q3, Russell did not quite have the pace to compete for the front two rows. The margins were tight though – Russell was just 0.019s behind Leclerc. As for Antonelli, he had to use two sets of softs to get through Q1, as he struggled with tyre warm up. But he had got the hang of things by Q3, and made his one lap on new softs count as he bagged a best result of the season.

George Russell, 5th, 1:27.318

"Finishing P5 definitely feels like an underachievement for us today. We have looked strong all weekend and I believe we had a car that could have been in the fight for the front row. Unfortunately, we just didn’t bring the lap together at the critical moment. As the session progressed, the track was getting cooler. For our final effort, the tyres were a little too cold starting the lap and I had a big moment at turn two. That cost me a couple of tenths and I was unable to improve on my first effort.

"Whilst we are naturally disappointed, P5 is not a terrible place to start. We’ve had good pace all weekend and I am feeling confident in the car. Let’s see what the weather conditions bring tomorrow but, wet or dry, I think we can be in contention for a podium. If it is wet, this is an even more challenging circuit. We saw in Melbourne just how chaotic a race can get so, whatever the circumstances, we will be looking to take advantage."

Kimi Antonelli, 6th, 1:27.555

"I am happy with how my session went. I wasn’t putting the lap together as I knew I needed to throughout practice. I didn’t have a huge amount of confidence therefore going into Qualifying, but we kept working hard at it. Bono has been a great support, along with Valtteri who has been giving me plenty of advice. I managed to make progress lap-by-lap and P6 is not a bad result in the end. There was definitely more performance to find in the car; I was still struggling a little with sector one. If I had improved that, then maybe we could have started slightly further ahead. Nevertheless, I am still pleased with what we were able to extract from the car. There are a lot of positives to take away, along with the learnings of where I can improve.

"I am looking forward to tomorrow. With the forecast, it could be an interesting race ahead. I certainly wouldn’t mind a little bit of rain! I have a lot of data to look through tonight to see where we can make further improvements. I will continue to build my confidence around the track and hopefully we can bring home some good points tomorrow."

Bradley Lord, Team Representative

"Qualifying left us with mixed feelings. George has delivered a strong weekend, running in the top three almost every time he has been on track. In the cooling temperatures at the end of the session however, his lap just didn't come together. He lost over two tenths in turn two and, although he made gains later in the lap, they weren't enough to improve on his initial effort. That left him P5 as others jumped forward. He can be confident of challenging those ahead tomorrow though given the pace he has shown so far here at Suzuka.

"For Kimi, the weekend has been about building his performance step by step. It has been challenging to find a good rhythm because of the many red flags in practice, so Qualifying was the first time he could really put all the pieces together. He improved on every run, and P6 is a good reward for him - his best F1 qualifying position so far, and at the front of a very closely matched group of cars.

"We therefore start from row three tomorrow, with the possibility that the race will be affected by rain in the forecast. This is always a demanding race for the cars and the drivers in the dry and even more so if it's wet; we will need to be at our best if we wish to make progress against the cars in front."

Andrew Shovlin, Trackside Engineering Director

"George is understandably frustrated with P5. Practically every lap he has done this weekend has put him in the top three, and most of the time in the top two. On his final run, we targeted temperatures that were too low on the out lap, and he lacked grip through the first few corners. That caused a snap at turn two which effectively ruined the lap. It's some encouragement that the car is working better here but we should have done more with it today.

"On Kimi's side, he's been on a steep learning curve on this circuit from the very first session on Friday. He was finding enough with each run to get through to Q3 and put together a strong lap to line up alongside George on the grid tomorrow.

"We're expecting some rain overnight and into the morning, although it's not clear yet whether it's going to be a wet race. If it is, then the qualifying position isn't terribly important. What will determine our finishing result will be good communications and decision making. If it's dry, then we're still in a strong position to fight for a podium if the race pace is as solid as it looked on Friday. Let’s see what tomorrow brings."

Racing Bulls

Hadjar had the edge on Lawson throughout practice, and the same held true in Qualifying. He made it all the way to Q3, despite an unusual issue that caused him a lot of pain. That was a problem with his seat belts, which started in practice and reoccurred in Q1. He nearly went out in Q1, scraping through with a last gasp effort. To make Q3 all things considered was a great effort, and he even out-qualified his hero Hamilton. As for Lawson, he had to make do with Q2 – but that is an improvement on what he managed for Red Bull and he did finish ahead of Tsunoda. Whether he can stay ahead of his replacement remains to be seen.

Isack Hadjar, 7th, 1:27.569

"Yesterday we had a great start to the weekend as I felt comfortable straight away in the car with quite a lot of pace. I wasn’t too happy this morning during FP3, but the team did a fantastic job making the right adjustments to the car, even throughout the session. In the afternoon during Q1, unfortunately, I felt some discomfort in the cockpit due to an issue with the seat belt, but at the end of that session, I jumped out of the car and the team were able to fix it, allowing me to have a smooth Q2 and Q3. This definitely helped me a lot as I was able to be fully focused on my driving. Overall, I’m really happy about my performance and lap time until the last chicane, as sadly, I lost one tenth there. Tomorrow might be raining, so in this case, obviously, it would be a very different situation compared to today, especially starting in P7 with the big boys ahead of me. It will be a challenge, but it’s a good place to kick off the race from, and if we have a clean start, I think points may be on the table.”

Liam Lawson, 14th, 1:27.906

“It’s been a tricky day, especially after yesterday we had pretty good pace, and good balance. Somewhere along the way, I think with the wind change, we struggled more. It’s a shame because the potential of the car has been very very good this weekend, I felt really good in the car but for whatever reason it got away from us at the end of Q2. You’re always chasing balance through Quali as the track evolves, everybody’s getting faster, so you’re chasing a balance to try and keep in a good window. I feel like we were fine tuning through the run but it just got to a point that we couldn’t really tune it much more, we kind of hit a wall a bit. Tomorrow looks like it’s probably going to be wet, which is going to be a challenge for everybody, but also it opens opportunities for us to try and move forward. The new surface will be quite different to drive, it’ll probably hold a bit more water. Let’s see what happens, I’m sure it’ll be an eventful race.”

Guillaume Dezoteux, Head of Vehicle Performance

“Our biggest challenge today was to adapt to the very different wind conditions in comparison to yesterday. Isack’s session started with a little glitch at the start of Q1, when Isack experienced some discomfort with his seat belts, but the mechanics fixed it promptly. Isack must have felt comfortable for the rest of the Qualifying session, as he could secure the 7th place on the grid, ahead of all our direct competitors. Liam did a very good job too, as he only missed Q3 by a tenth in a car he drove yesterday for the first time! Tonight, we will analyse the various strategies for the race, which could be wet towards the start. Gambarimasu!”

Williams

Albon made it all the way to Q3 for the third time in three races, as his strong one-lap pace continues. He wound up ninth, having just the one set of soft tyres to play with in the top 10 shootout. Sainz could not follow him through, as he still seems to be struggling to fully understand his car. He was also called to the stewards to explain a moment of impeding in Q2, and received a three-place grid drop for getting in Hamilton's way - meaning he starts 15th tomorrow.

Alex Albon, 9th, 1:27.615

"That wasn’t bad! I’m happy with another Q3; we have a pretty consistent car! My best lap felt very different to the other laps though. We need to go through it all and understand why it changed, but that lap felt how I wanted it to feel. The balance that I’d been chasing was there. There are a couple of corners on the track that we’ve struggled with so if we can improve on those, we’ll be even more competitive. Tomorrow looks like it’s going to start off wet and then get drier and drier, so the call to switch will be important. It should be a good race."

Carlos Sainz, 12th, 1:27.836

"Mixed feelings today. We’ve made some good progress this weekend and I felt a lot more comfortable with the car; there are still a few things to adjust here and there of course, but this track requires a lot of confidence and I do feel we’ve taken a step forward. On the other hand, I lost around a tenth on S3 on my last lap, so Q3 was reachable and I’m obviously not happy I missed it. However, I prefer to take the positives from today and focus on tomorrow’s race, where we’ll try to do everything to gain some positions and have a positive Sunday."

James Vowles, Team Principal

"It’s great to see that we are at our third race of the season and the car has remained competitive and able to get into Q3. Carlos has made some brilliant steps in the time since China, and you can see his performance is really coming together now. I’m proud of Alex; he put together a great lap and, from his own commentary, I think there was more in it, but the want and desire to be further ahead than where we are is a good thing. What’s more positive is we have made more of a race than Qualifying car. Let’s see what happens tomorrow with the conditions, but I’m looking forward to it."

Haas

Haas were the only team not to get any soft tyre running in on super low fuel late in FP3, thanks to a red flag. As such, their one-lap pace was an unknown at the start of Qualifying. Ocon could not extract enough pace to make Q2, but Bearman did manage to get through. Once there he did even better, making Q3 for the first time this season. He grabbed P10, his best ever Grand Prix start and will be chasing more points for the American team tomorrow.

Esteban Ocon, 18th, 1:28.696

“It didn’t really work on our side unfortunately – we tried a lot of things across the two cars and unfortunately something was missing for us. Here and there, we’re lacking pace much more than we should be, but it’s good to see that it’s working well for Ollie. We’ll put it together and learn for the future, and anything can happen with the weather, so we’ll give it our all.”

Oliver Bearman, 10th, 1:27.867

“I made a mistake on my last lap and lost a bit of time, so maybe we could’ve been a bit further up, but it’s really tight. Just to make it into Q2 was a relief and a surprise – a welcome one – so I’m happy with today. I’m not sure about the forecast for tomorrow and how it will impact things, but it’s going to be fun that’s for sure. This track and the fans are amazing, and getting into Q3 with this team is incredible.”

Ayao Komatsu, Team Principal

“All in all, it was a very positive day. Of course, your target is to get both cars into Q3, but before qualifying our target was to get both cars out of Q1. If you look at our performance from FP1, to FP2, to FP3, we’ve been improving our understanding of how to get the soft tyres to work, but we weren’t there yet – so I wasn’t expecting that!

“It was a huge team effort, the team worked really hard, Ollie did a fantastic job, and that second run in Q2 was mega. In Q3, it wasn’t perfect but I’m not complaining, I think it’s good to see that if everything was put together in Q3, it could’ve been even better – which is a positive. Everything is fine margins, so it’s not big, and we need to look into the data as to why Esteban was where he was. Considering how we started this weekend, I’m very pleased with this team effort to get a car into Q3.”

Alpine

Doohan looked short of lap time and confidence as he tumbled out in Q1 for the second straight race. The Australian at least managed to keep his car in one piece, but he owes his mechanics a strong race tomorrow after they stayed late to fix his car after yesterday’s huge crash. Gasly was doing better at a track he knows and loves, and was flirting with the top 10 for much of the day. But he ultimately fell just short, half a tenth from making Q3 as Alpine chase a first points finish of the season.

Pierre Gasly, 11th, 1:27.822

“I have mixed feelings after Qualifying today. It was so close out there – as we expected – with small gaps in lap time separating a handful of cars. The car felt good, I was happy with the balance and I was really able to push in the corners, especially in Sectors 1 and 3, where we were competitive. We knew we were going to miss out a little bit in Sector 2, given the direction we took with the car. Overall, it’s a strong job by everyone at the team as the car feels much improved. I’m feeling confident and we are in a good starting spot for tomorrow. There is a chance of rain, which I would welcome, as it always makes things more interesting for everyone and gives more opportunity for a good result. Let’s see what happens.”

Jack Doohan, 19th, 1:28.877

“Thanks to the team for their hard work overnight to get the car ready for today. It was a big effort so for that I’m very appreciative. Going into Free Practice 3, we were a bit on the backfoot from yesterday, which meant we needed to make big steps each time we went out on track. The car felt reasonably good but we’re still struggling a bit with stability, which is something we need to analyse. Maybe Q2 could have been possible with the speed we had. However, I made a small mistake on the exit of Spoon Curve on my final lap where the car understeered a bit and I had to get out the throttle, which cost us time for the rest of the straight. The weather forecast looks mixed for tomorrow and that could give us an opportunity to move forward in the race. We have not run in wet conditions this weekend, but it will be the same for everyone and we will look to make progress from our current starting position whatever the conditions.”

Dave Greenwood, Racing Director

“Credit to the whole team today, especially the Car 7 crew to rebuild and prepare the car for Jack. It was a great job and effort by everyone overnight. On Jack’s side, he can be pleased with how his day has progressed. It was certainly not an easy task for him, so we built up his run plan on Softs in Free Practice 3 to prepare for Qualifying. He was very sensible in building up the pace and in Q1 did a competitive job where, with the perfect lap, would have made Q2. Pierre has been pleased with the changes on set-up that have certainly improved the car since China. Again, he was just on the wrong end of a small gap with 0.05secs making the difference of a couple of places to be safely in Q3, which underlines the exceptionally fine margins between a number of teams. It is pleasing to see the car was very competitive in Sector 1 amongst our immediate rivals. Ahead of tomorrow, there are some mixed weather reports with a chance of rain in the area. In any case, it is usually a busy race at Suzuka so we are preparing for all scenarios as we aim for a good haul of points.”

Aston Martin

Stroll got out of shape and ran into the gravel trap on his final flying run in Q1, which explains why he bowed out at the first time of asking at a track he has never really gelled at. That is his fourth straight Q1 elimination here. Alonso did make Q2 but could go no further, with the AMR25 just not looking quite quick enough. He is within touching distance of the points though, as he seeks a first Grand Prix finish of the year tomorrow.

Fernando Alonso, 13th, 1:27.897

"I was feeling competitive yesterday but I think with the wind direction change we weren't quite as fast today. I was happy with all of my laps in Qualifying and we finished P14 in Q1 and P13 in Q2, so I think that was our pace. We need to improve our car performance to be able to reach Q3. We'll try fight for the points scoring positions tomorrow."

Lance Stroll, 20th, 1:29.271

"Today's Qualifying session was challenging. The red flags in FP2 and FP3 prevented us from running Soft tyres, making it hard to get an accurate read on the car. Unfortunately, a strong gust of wind caught me during my final push lap, causing the car to lose balance and forcing me wide at Turn 6. As a result, we didn't make it into Q2. With rain likely tomorrow, we will look for any opportunities to capitalise on in the race."

Andy Cowell, Team Principal

"I think Fernando's assessment after Qualifying is a fair reflection of our pace right now and it was the maximum available to us today. There was a lot of consideration given to set-up adjustments throughout the session, but in Q2 Fernando made the call not to make any further changes. It was the right decision and he found a couple of tenths on his final attempt.

"Lance's session was cut short when he ran wide at Turn Six due to some strong tailwinds. There was a gust of wind 12kph stronger than his earlier run and that pushed him wide and through the gravel. We knew the wind was going to be an issue today, but he was just unlucky.

"There is still plenty to play for tomorrow, especially if the weather forecast brings the expected rain."

Kick Sauber

Bortoleto had a big moment in FP3, catching the grass and having to correct what could have easily been a nasty spin. That seemed to knock his confidence somewhat, and he was unable to make it out of Q1. Hulkenberg also fell at the first time of asking, but he had the pace for Q2. Unfortunately, the German dipped a wheel in the gravel on his last run in Q1, which cost him a few tenths on a day when the margins were incredibly tight.

Nico Hulkenberg, 16th, 1:28.570

“The car has been a bit tricky all weekend long, today even more with the wind change in Sector 1 which has turned 180 degrees compared to yesterday. It’s just a bit difficult to find the right balance and we knew it was going to be tight in the midfield and it really was. I had a bit of a wobble at the exit of Turn 9 and lost some time there. Unfortunately, that happens when you're on the edge and that’s where we are now. I was not able to bring my tyres up to the perfect temperature on my warmup lap due to traffic with cars on their fast lap. This was not perfect too. For tomorrow it looks like there might be different weather on the way, which could create an opportunity that we are willing to use."

Gabriel Bortoleto, 17th, 1:28.622

"I missed Q2 by just one tenth today, and all my laps felt good, without any mistakes. I ended up quite close to my team-mate, which is encouraging considering how fast and experienced he is. Now, we can compare the data and understand where we can improve as a team. We could have possibly done a small step further to improve the car for the last set of tyres, but we decided to stay safe and not do any major changes. In all fairness, I am happy with my laps, and fine with what we brought home today – I think that’s the position we could aim for. Overall, I am happy with the work the team has done all weekend so far, and I'm ready for the race tomorrow."

Jonathan Wheatley, Team Principal

“It wasn’t the Qualifying we were ideally hoping for, especially given the margins are so tight. Nico missed out on Q2 by two hundredths, Gabriel by seven hundredths. I want to thank the team, who worked tirelessly to fit the upgrades we brought to Suzuka. In my first Qualifying session with the team, I can already feel the positive energy and momentum building. We now turn our focus to the race tomorrow and with Suzuka often delivering the unexpected, we are looking forward to delivering the best race results possible.”

Pirelli

Mario Isola, Motorsport Director

“Once again we witnessed a qualifying session that was exciting from the beginning, all the way to the chequered flag and beyond, with pole position changing hands three times in the final minute, ending with the top three within 44 thousandths of a second.

“Tomorrow’s race is also shaping up to be a thriller, because the weather is uncertain, with the forecast for rain definitely expected in the morning, with the possibility of it also falling from 2pm onwards, while if it’s dry, then various strategies are possible. Firstly, it’s worth underlining that all three compounds can have a part to play. The Soft, which has even offered a good level of performance beyond one flying lap could on paper be used by those looking to do a one-stop and those opting for a two-stop.

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

“The data from the weekend has tipped the scales marginally towards a one-stop strategy, with the fastest option being one set of Medium and one of Hard. Simulation suggests the two-stop is not that far off, with all combinations possible, whether using two or all three compounds. The rain could play an important role, even if it does not fall during the race. In fact, depending on its strength, track conditions could revert to those seen yesterday morning, before the cars had starting running. That could make graining more likely and therefore the choice could swing back towards a two-stop. As you can see, there are so many variables in play, ensuring unpredictability and a great show.”