Japanese GP qualifying: Verstappen's stunning pole position ‘very unexpected'

Dominika Jordan
Apr 5, 2025, 6:09 AM ET

Verstappen takes surprise pole in Japan, beating McLaren by 0.012s despite Red Bull handling issues.

Red Bull Racing/Red Bull Content Pool

SUZUKA, Japan -- Max Verstappen secured a surprising pole position for the Japanese Grand Prix, outperforming the McLaren duo to claim the fastest qualifying time. The four-time world champion surpassed Lando Norris by a mere 0.012 seconds, pushing the limits of his Red Bull car to achieve an unexpected result.

"The last lap was just flat out," Verstappen said. "Around here, being on the limit or maybe a bit over in places is incredibly rewarding."

This impressive performance followed a challenging start to the season for Red Bull. The team recently replaced Liam Lawson with Yuki Tsunoda due to Lawson's struggles with the car. Verstappen himself has voiced concerns about the car's handling characteristics this year and admitted he did not anticipate being in contention for pole position.

"I think if you look at how our season started, even during this weekend, I think it's very unexpected, I would say. And I think that makes it probably a very special one," Verstappen noted.

Through practice sessions, Verstappen managed to build his confidence in the car, although some handling issues persisted during qualifying. Nonetheless, he chose to push those concerns aside and focus on delivering his best performance.

"It was a bit better," he admitted. "I think that issue was a lot better today. But at the same time, I think, yeah, let's say the through-corner balance is still what we need to work on. I think on low fuel over one lap, some bits you can mask a little bit. But yeah, it's still not like I don't go into the lap fully confident and comfortable.

"The last lap I was like, well, I'm just going to try not to feel uncomfortable. I thought I'd just send it in and see what we get. But it's very rare, of course, that a lap like that then can stick."

When asked which parts of the lap he felt were particularly on the edge, Verstappen detailed: "I think [corner] entry, like the exit of Turn 1 into Turn 2, Turn 6, 7, 8, and then Spoon. Yeah, those places it was like, well, I hope it's gonna stick! But yeah, it did.

"And of course, when I crossed the line, I could see my name pop up. But I knew also that Oscar [Piastri] was still behind me. I was already just very happy with what I did there. Because I didn't even expect to be close to that. So yeah, that was a nice moment."

Verstappen’s pole position is a testament to his exceptional skill and perseverance, as well as a significant highlight in what has been a turbulent season for Red Bull.