The qualifying session for the upcoming race saw Red Bull’s drivers, Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, demonstrating their prowess by gaining time on their second runs in Q3. While Verstappen secured pole position with a blistering time of 1m28.197s, Perez managed to edge out McLaren’s Lando Norris, who had initially shown promise with a strong first sector.
Ferrari’s challenge failed to materialize in Q3, with Carlos Sainz leading their charge in fourth place. Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso surprised by securing fifth place ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton, despite showing pace in Q2, could only manage seventh for Mercedes, with his teammate Valtteri Bottas in 13th position.
The second segment of qualifying saw some surprises, notably with home favorite Yuki Tsunoda outpacing his Red Bull teammate Daniel Ricciardo, much to the delight of the Japanese crowd. Nico Hulkenberg’s hopes were dashed after he lost his first Q2 run due to going too wide, leaving him in 12th position for Haas.
In Q1, Alex Albon’s strategic timing allowed him to progress in 15th place, while Lance Stroll was knocked out in 16th position. Post-qualifying investigations were initiated for Albon, George Russell, and Piastri concerning potential incidents during the session.
The final grid positions revealed a mix of surprises and expected performances. Verstappen claimed pole position, followed closely by Perez and Norris. Sainz and Alonso rounded out the top five, demonstrating competitive performances for Ferrari and Aston Martin, respectively. Hamilton’s seventh-place start marked a disappointing outcome for Mercedes, while Bottas found himself further down the grid in 13th position.
Red Bull’s dominance in qualifying showcased their strength heading into the race, while Ferrari and McLaren demonstrated competitive performances. However, Mercedes faced challenges in maximizing their potential, highlighting the intense competition in the Formula 1 field.
