HIGHLIGHTS: Relive Verstappen's surprise pole in Japanese GP Qualifying
Max Verstappen took a surprise pole position for Red Bull at the Japanese Grand Prix, besting McLaren's Lando Norris with a last-gasp effort in Qualifying.
Verstappen will start from the front of the grid for the first time since Austria last year after gambling on a low downforce set up. His 1.26.983s was 0.012s clear of Norris who had topped Q2, with Oscar Piastri third.
Charles Leclerc, George Russell and Kimi Antonelli completed the top six while Isack Hadjar battled issues inside his Racing Bulls entry to take seventh.
On his Red Bull Qualifying debut, Yuki Tsunoda could manage only 15th after an error, falling one place short of the driver he replaced, Liam Lawson.
Watch the highlights from Qualifying by hitting go on the video player above.

Next Up
Related Articles
Every trophy won in the 2026 F1 season so far
ExclusiveHow Williams rebuilt one of their most iconic F1 cars
UnlockedInside the F1 driver’s bubble: The communications officer
5 key things we heard from Cadillac after Team Principal change
9 times superhero movies made it onto the F1 grid
ExclusiveWhy switching off is one of the most vital skills for F1 drivers