Max Verstappen claimed pole position for the Japanese Grand Prix, delivering a strong lap for Red Bull and edging out Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and team-mate Sergio Perez’s rivals. Verstappen’s pole-setting time highlighted Red Bull’s pace at the circuit, while Ferrari showed competitive form with Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr. close behind.
| Row 1 | 1. (1) Max Verstappen 1’29.304 Red Bull RB18 |
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| 2. (16) Charles Leclerc 1’29.314 Ferrari F1-75 |
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| Row 2 | 3. (55) Carlos Sainz Jnr 1’29.361 Ferrari F1-75 |
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| 4. (11) Sergio Perez 1’29.709 Red Bull RB18 |
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| Row 3 | 5. (31) Esteban Ocon 1’30.165 Alpine-Renault A522 |
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| 6. (44) Lewis Hamilton 1’30.261 Mercedes W13 |
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| Row 4 | 7. (14) Fernando Alonso 1’30.322 Alpine-Renault A522 |
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| 8. (63) George Russell 1’30.389 Mercedes W13 |
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| Row 5 | 9. (5) Sebastian Vettel 1’30.554 Aston Martin-Mercedes AMR22 |
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| 10. (4) Lando Norris 1’31.003 McLaren-Mercedes MCL36 |
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| Row 6 | 11. (3) Daniel Ricciardo 1’30.659 McLaren-Mercedes MCL36 |
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| 12. (77) Valtteri Bottas 1’30.709 Alfa Romeo-Ferrari C42 |
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| Row 7 | 13. (22) Yuki Tsunoda 1’30.808 AlphaTauri-Red Bull AT03 |
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| 14. (24) Zhou Guanyu 1’30.953 Alfa Romeo-Ferrari C42 |
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| Row 8 | 15. (47) Mick Schumacher 1’31.439 Haas-Ferrari VF-22 |
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| 16. (23) Alexander Albon 1’31.311 Williams-Mercedes FW44 |
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| Row 9 | 17. (20) Kevin Magnussen 1’31.352 Haas-Ferrari VF-22 |
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| 18. (18) Lance Stroll 1’31.419 Aston Martin-Mercedes AMR22 |
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| Row 10 | 19. (6) Nicholas Latifi 1’31.511 Williams-Mercedes FW44 |
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| 20. (10) Pierre Gasly 1’31.322 AlphaTauri-Red Bull AT03 |
Penalties
Nicholas Latifi – Five-place grid penalty for causing a collision with Zhou Guanyu.
Pierre Gasly – Will start from the pit lane after changes to the car under parc fermé conditions.
2022 F1 season
The Japanese Grand Prix qualifying session reinforced the season-long battle between Red Bull and Ferrari. Verstappen’s pole lap underlined Red Bull’s consistency, while Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr. demonstrated Ferrari’s competitiveness on a circuit that rewards aerodynamic balance and tyre management. Behind them, Sergio Perez completed a strong top-four for Red Bull, maintaining the team’s prominence in the weekend’s running.
Mercedes showed signs of recovery, with Lewis Hamilton and George Russell locked into the second half of the top ten after solid laps. Alpine continued to score respectable times, with Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso both inside the top eight, indicating the team’s ongoing development pace. McLaren and Aston Martin placed drivers in competitive positions, though both teams remain a step behind the frontrunners and will be looking for improvements ahead of the race.
Midfield battles were tight as usual, with Alfa Romeo, AlphaTauri, Haas and Williams all within striking distance of each other. Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu set competitive times for Alfa Romeo, while Yuki Tsunoda and Pierre Gasly showed pace for AlphaTauri. Haas drivers put in solid laps, and Williams managed a mixed result with Alexander Albon ahead of Nicholas Latifi, who will suffer a five-place penalty on the grid.
Penalties will affect the final grid order, notably Latifi’s five-place penalty and Gasly’s pit lane start following changes to his car under parc fermé rules. These adjustments could alter strategies at the race start and through the opening laps, as teams adapt tyre plans and positioning to account for the revised starting spots.
Qualifying results like these set the stage for an intriguing race at Suzuka, where strategy, tyre wear and racecraft will be decisive. Expect intense wheel-to-wheel action and tactical calls as teams try to convert qualifying positions into strong race results.
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