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2025 Formula 1 Japanese GP
Apr 3, 2025 to Apr 6, 2025
| Suzuka, JP
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Formula 1 Japanese GP
F1 Japanese GP live commentary and updates – Qualifying
Join us for live coverage of F1 qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix
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03:37:02 am
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We will be hearing from all the drivers shortly in the mixed zone. As always you'll be able to read the most noteworthy reactions and breaking news from Suzuka on the website.
We'll wrap it up here, see you back here tomorrow for the third race of the season. The prospect of rain. Verstappen on pole. Two McLarens hounding him. Bring it on.
The race starts at 6:00am GMT, that is 7:00am BST or 8:00 CEST. See you then!
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03:33:28 am
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Verstappen: "At Turns 7, 8 and Spoon I was hoping the car would stick. Seeing my name pop up at the top was a nice moment."
03:31:10 am
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Sainz and Hamilton are off to the stewards over the Spaniard impeding his Ferrari replacement. It was Sainz and not Albon in the Williams as we mistakenly said at the time.
Breaking news
03:29:57 am
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Verstappen beats Norris and Piastri to pole, grass fires strike again
Mark Mann-Bryans has no doubt had to re-write the top of his qualifying report after that Verstappen lap, here is his offering.
03:26:43 am
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I'd like to remind you rain is on the cards for tomorrow's race. Will it be another wet weather Verstappen masterclass or will Norris and Piastri use their car's intrisically superior race pace to get past him?
What do you think?
03:25:37 am
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The Dutch lion roars.
03:19:10 am
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Verstappen's 1m26.983s is a new track record at Suzuka.
Pedantically, it's not a lap record. That is the fastest lap set in a race. Just saying!
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03:18:14 am
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Piastri: "The last lap just didn't quite come together as I wanted, but incredibly tight margins. A bit more left on the table. We've got good pace. The others have not been as far away as people think. But we have a great car for tomorrow to fight for the win."
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03:16:25 am
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Norris: "Hats off to Max. You have to credit a lap that good. Was there that much in [the car]? Yes, but an amazing lap by Max. My lap was very good."
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03:15:22 am
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Verstappen says he is as surprised as we are. "That last lap was just flat out on the limit or even over the limit in places. It's insane."
03:13:48 am
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Norris and Piastri look stunned. Their laps were pretty good, but then Max does Max things.
03:12:56 am
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Leclerc is fourth ahead of Russell and Antonelli. Hadjar beats Hamilton to seventh, a great effort by the Frenchman after that seat belt drama.
Albon and Bearman settle for the fifth row.
03:12:00 am
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Verstappen is beside himself with that magical lap, jubilant on the team radio. It really came out of nowhere, going much quicker than his previous effort. That Red Bull should not be up there.
03:10:52 am
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Verstappen shades Norris by 0.012s. It is centimetres, but it is enough. Piastri is only 0.044s behind as well in third.
Stopwatch
03:09:43 am
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Verstappen stuns McLaren with pole
CAN YOU BELIEVE IT. Out of absolutely nowhere Max Verstappen takes a fourth straight pole at Suzuka!
Stopwatch
03:08:33 am
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Norris goes to the top
Provisional pole for Norris!
03:08:13 am
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Russell can't do it, a poor first sector leaves him fifth!
03:06:43 am
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Two minutes on the clock, one more shot. Bearman is the first across the line ahead of the two Mercs, Piastri will be the last in the queue.
03:05:00 am
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Hamilton has also been fighting the oversteering Ferrari and is only sixth. Antonelli has had a poor lap and is provisional 10th.
03:02:20 am
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Norris needs to find one tenth compared to his Q2 time to match Piastri. You'd think that needs to be doable, but Piastri also has another shot.
03:01:38 am
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Leclerc also jumps Russell for third. It's a poor lap from Lando Norris, he is only fifth.
Stopwatch
03:01:11 am
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It's the fastest first sector of anyone by George Russell, but he struggles in the hairpin and falls away a bit.
Verstappen goes marginally quicker, but then Piastri takes a quarter of a second out of that time to go top; 1m27.052s.
02:58:37 am
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All 10 cars are on track for what looks like a simple two-run approach.
Lights green
02:56:34 am
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Q3 starts
Who is going to take pole in Suzuka?
Norris and Piastri very much head into Q3 as the favourites, behind them it is very close to call between Russell, Verstappen and the two Ferrari cars. Russell has seemed a small step ahead, if we had to put money on it.
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02:54:47 am
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Good stuff by Bearman in the cherry blossom liveried Haas, then. I imagine these chaps agree. Quite impressive from the rookie to already boast a Japanese fan club!
Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team
Photo by: Peter Fox - Getty Images
Penalty
02:50:43 am
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Hamilton got massively impeded by Albon into the fast Turn 1, that is going to be looked at.*
*It looks like that was Sainz.
02:49:28 am
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It's the first hiccup for Tsunoda after going so well until this point. One poor sector and it's enough to drop out. Two tenths cover the final half of that 15-car session, it is brutal.
02:48:31 am
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Norris tops Q2 - Gasly, Sainz, Alonso, Lawson, Tsunoda out
Bearman's time holds. Hadjar and Albon also squeeze through to Q3!
That means we are losing Gasly, Sainz, Alonso, Lawson and Tsunoda.
02:47:10 am
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Great lap from Ollie Bearman though! He is provisonal eighth and looks good to stay in the top 10.
02:46:00 am
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It's a pressure lap for Tsunoda, and not the greatest first sector. The rest of the lap is better, but it's not good enough for advance. He is 11th for now.
Green flag
02:40:19 am
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Session resumes
We are running again after the latest smoking grass drama.
02:38:26 am
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Piastri's poor lap is explained by drifting wide over the kerbs coming out of Degner 2, similar to Hulkenberg. He scooped up a bit of gravel too.
02:37:45 am
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The onboard of Lando Norris' table-topping lap is a thing of beauty. That McLaren is hooked up.
At the other end Sainz, Alonso, Bearman, Tsunoda and Lawson are in the danger zone.
02:35:13 am
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FIA: "Grass fire on the inside of 130R. Given there’s 8:30 left on the clock, it’s been decided to red flag the session and resume once the fire has been put out and the area watered again."
So not Esses then, my bad. The marshals are on the case.
02:33:42 am
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There's a trampoline sized patch of grass on fire towards the end of the Esses.
It's actually good timing, right in between people's two Q2 runs.
Red flag
02:32:32 am
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Red flag
There you have it again. Which bit of grass is it now?
02:31:21 am
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Russell is second again, splitting Norris and Verstappen. Not a great lap for Piastri, half a second away. He will definitely need to go again.
Stopwatch
02:29:56 am
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Max Verstappen goes top as he's the first one out. It might be his only chance to do so today, which is still odd to say.
Norris immediately goes three and a half tenths quicker.
Green flag
02:27:35 am
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Q2 is go
Ten spots in Q3 are up for grabs.
02:25:12 am
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We are hearing from Racing Bulls that Hadjar is struggling with his seat belts, which are causing a lot of discomfort. You could see him wince in the cockpit as he came back to the garage.
Pagination
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By: Filip Cleeren
Published: Apr 5, 2025, 7:37 AM
Lap:
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