Verstappen pips Leclerc to Japanese GP pole; escapes grid penalty

The Red Bull driver was investigated for an incident involving McLaren’s Lando Norris during Q3 but escaped with a reprimand so the grid will not change.

Verstappen, who can seal a second world title on Sunday at Suzuka, was just 0.010s faster than nearest rival Leclerc as he topped qualifying for just the fifth time this season. 

• F1 2022 Japanese Grand Prix - Full Qualifying results

The Dutchman’s opening lap - which put him 0.253s clear of Leclerc - proved good enough to seal pole as he failed to improve on his final run. 

Leclerc did find time but a slight mistake in the second sector proved the difference as he narrowly missed out on a 10th pole of 2022. 

Verstappen will have to make a trip to the stewards’ office after qualifying, however, following a near-miss with Norris as both drivers prepared to start laps. 

Norris was forced to take to the grass at the flat-out 130R in order to avoid the Red Bull driver, with Verstappen losing his rear end when crawling on an out-lap. 

The top three were covered by just 0.057s as Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz had to settle for third, ahead of Sergio Perez, who was four-tenths slower than his Red Bull teammate. 

Esteban Ocon turned in a great lap to take sixth in his Alpine, ahead of Lewis Hamilton, who was nearly a full second down in sixth as Mercedes struggled for pace in dry conditions. 

Alpine’s Fernando Alonso split the Mercedes drivers in seventh ahead of Russell. 

A brilliant performance from four-time Japanese GP pole sitter Sebastian Vettel saw the Aston Martin driver seal ninth spot on the grid, ahead of Norris who completed the top-10. 

McLaren teammate Daniel Ricciardo was just 0.003s shy of advancing into the top-10 shootout, while Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas took 12th. 

Home-hero Yuki Tsunoda was a frustrated 13th for AlphaTauri as he outpaced the second Alfa Romeo of Zhou Guanyu and Haas’ Mick Schumacher. 

Alex Albon narrowly missed out on a spot in Q2 as he took 16th in his Williams, ahead of Alpine-bound Pierre Gasly, whose AlphaTauri was hampered by brake issues. 

Kevin Magnussen failed to join Haas teammate Schumacher in progressing to the second part of qualifying and could only set a lap good enough for 18th. 

Behind the Dane came Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and outgoing Williams driver Nicholas Latifi, who was slowest of all in 20th.