Max Verstappen cruised to pole position for the 2024 Japanese Grand Prix in a dominant Qualifying session.
Verstappen topped FP3 from Red Bull teammate, Sergio Perez and the pair went on to lock out the front row in Qualifying, which saw several drivers separated by slim margins in an entertaining session.
Now, here is a full roundup of FP3 and Qualifying for 2024 Japanese Grand Prix.
FP3
Verstappen was first out on track and immediately set a benchmark time of 1m 30.265 on the medium tyre, whilst Haas’ Kevin Magnussen spun at Turn 11 after he outbraked himself on entry.
Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton soon went fastest on the soft tyre with 1m 30.065 as many teams focused on long run following a FP2 wash-out, with the Brit still on top at the halfway mark from Verstappen and McLaren’s Lando Norris.
Many drivers subsequently left their soft-tyre Qualifying simulations until the final ten minutes, where Verstappen finished quickest with 1m 29.563 ahead of teammate – Perez, whilst Mercedes’ George Russell and Hamilton were third and fourth respectively.
Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll was the only driver to not set his fastest lap on the soft tyre, having instead done his best lap time on the hard tyre.
| Position | Driver | Team | Time |
| 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1m 29.563 |
| 2 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull | + 0.269 |
| 3 | George Russell | Mercedes | + 0.355 |
| 4 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | + 0.474 |
| 5 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | + 0.519 |
| 6 | Lando Norris | McLaren | + 0.574 |
| 7 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | + 0.608 |
| 8 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | + 0.663 |
| 9 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB | + 0.778 |
| 10 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | + 0.820 |
| 11 | Alex Albon | Williams | + 0.970 |
| 12 | Valtteri Bottas | Kick | + 0.983 |
| 13 | Daniel Ricciardo | RB | + 1.119 |
| 14 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine | + 1.459 |
| 15 | Guanyu Zhou | Kick | + 1.504 |
| 16 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas | + 1.576 |
| 17 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | + 1.578 |
| 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | + 1.779 |
| 19 | Logan Sargeant | Williams | + 1.889 |
| 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas | + 1.899 |
Qualifying
Q1
Magnussen was the sole driver to head straight out on track and set a benchmark 1m 31.203, which was soon usurped by several drivers once the rest of the grid ventured out as Verstappen posted 1m 28.866 to go fastest in the opening runs ahead of Alonso and Perez.
Gasly, Hulkenberg, Sargeant, Magnussen and Zhou meanwhile sat in the elimination zone but by the time of the checkered flag, only Hulkenberg escaped the drop as Stroll was eliminated in 16th position ahead of Gasly, Magnussen, Sargeant and Zhou.
Q2
Perez and Verstappen were first to head out but seconds after the Mexican set a benchmark 1m 28.752, Verstappen went 0.012s quicker to top this segment whilst Norris was just 0.200s down on the Red Bull pair after the opening Q2 runs.
Tsunoda, Ocon and Ricciardo were slowest of the 13 runners who set a time in the opening run and found themselves 11-13th in the drop zone ahead of Hulkenberg whose lap had been deleted, whilst Albon opted not to do a lap in the first half of this segment.
Once the checkered flag fell, Tsunoda survived elimination at his home race at the expense of Ricciardo, who qualified 11th ahead of Hulkenberg by 0.022s, as Bottas, Albon and Ocon rounded out the Q2 departures.
Q3
Hamilton and Russell headed a queue of cars as everyone but Leclerc headed straight out once the pit exit light went green, as the Monegasque opted to stay in his Ferrari garage.
Hamilton proceeded to set 1m 28.766 as the benchmark time but was swiftly usurped as Verstappen produced 1m 28.240 to head the pack at the end of the first Q3 runs, with Norris, Perez, Sainz, Piastri, Hamilton, Alonso, Russell and Tsunoda rounding out the top nine.
Leclerc meanwhile opted to run a sole flier in the gap and posted 1m 28.786 to put himself seventh before everyone else conducted their final runs, with Alonso, Russell and Tsunoda having a chance to demote the Monegasque down the order.
Verstappen though was unbeatable as he took pole with 1m 28.197 ahead of Perez in a Red Bull front-row lockout, ahead of Norris whilst Sainz beat his Spanish compatriot, Alonso to fourth by 0.004s as Piastri, Hamilton, Leclerc, Russell and Tsunoda completed the top ten.
| Position | Driver | Team | Time |
| 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1m 28.197 |
| 2 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull | + 0.066 |
| 3 | Lando Norris | McLaren | + 0.292 |
| 4 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | + 0.485 |
| 5 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | + 0.489 |
| 6 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | + 0.563 |
| 7 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | + 0.569 |
| 8 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | + 0.589 |
| 9 | George Russell | Mercedes | + 0.811 |
| 10 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB | + 1.216 |
| 11 | Daniel Ricciardo | RB | 1m 29.472 |
| 12 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas | + 0.022 |
| 13 | Valtteri Bottas | Kick | + 0.121 |
| 14 | Alex Albon | Williams | + 0.242 |
| 15 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine | + 0.344 |
| 16 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1m 30.024 |
| 17 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | + 0.095 |
| 18 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas | + 0.107 |
| 19 | Logan Sargeant | Williams | + 0.115 |
| 20 | Guanyu Zhou | Kick | + 0.119 |
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