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Today, in Suzuka, Max Verstappen
took what is surely one of the greatest of his 41 pole positions to date,
with a fantastic final run to set a best time of 1’26”983, a record for this
circuit. It is the Dutchman’s first pole since last year’s Austrian Grand
Prix, his fourth in a row at Suzuka, meaning he has always been quickest
since the introduction of the current generation of cars. It is Red Bull’s
ninth Japanese Grand Prix pole, its 104th in total.
Verstappen was
just fractionally faster than the McLaren duo: Lando Norris was second, 12
thousandths of a second slower, with Oscar Piastri third at a distance of 44
thousandths.
The Pirelli Pole Position Award was presented to the
four time world champion by Jean Alesi. The Frenchman raced 12 times at
Suzuka, his best result being a third place with Ferrari in 1994. Alesi, who
is very popular in Japan, also raced in one (1995) of the two Pacific Grand
Prix events held at Aida. His Formula 1 career ended here in Suzuka in 2001,
having taken part in 201 grands prix, with one win to his name, in Canada in
1995.
THE DAY ON TRACK
All three compounds were used in
the third free practice session. The five drivers who did not use the Hard
yesterday - Verstappen, Tsunoda, Norris, Ocon and Bearman – did so today,
although the McLaren driver only did a single scrubbing-in lap.
In
qualifying the only splash of yellow in an otherwise totally red picture in
the context of tyre use, was down to Hamilton who opted for the Medium for
his first run in Q1. Today’s pole time is 1”214 faster than that set by
Verstappen last year. |
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MARIO ISOLA - HEAD OF F1 AND CAR RACING
“Once again we witnessed a qualifying session that was exciting from the
beginning, all the way to the chequered flag and beyond, with pole position
changing hands three times in the final minute, ending with the top three
within 44 thousandths of a second.
“Tomorrow’s race is also shaping
up to be a thriller, because the weather is uncertain, with the forecast for
rain definitely expected in the morning, with the possibility of it also
falling from 2pm onwards, while if it’s dry, then various strategies are
possible. Firstly, it’s worth underlining that all three compounds can have
a part to play. The Soft, which has even offered a good level of performance
beyond one flying lap could on paper be used by those looking to do a
one-stop and those opting for a two-stop.
“The data from the weekend
has tipped the scales marginally towards a one-stop strategy, with the
fastest option being one set of Medium and one of Hard. Simulation suggests
the two-stop is not that far off, with all combinations possible, whether
using two or all three compounds. The rain could play an important role,
even if it does not fall during the race. In fact, depending on its
strength, track conditions could revert to those seen yesterday morning,
before the cars had starting running. That could make graining more likely
and therefore the choice could swing back towards a two-stop. As you can
see, there are so many variables in play, ensuring unpredictability and a
great show."
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