Against all odds, Max Verstappen grabbed his fourth consecutive pole at the Suzuka International Circuit on Saturday. He was just 0.012s quicker than McLaren’s Lando Norris, whose teammate Oscar Piastri set a lap time that was 0.044s slower than the benchmark time set by the Dutchman.
With McLaren arguably having the fastest car on the grid, not many expected the Red Bull driver to put in such a solid lap. As a matter of fact, Verstappen did not even set the fastest time in any of the three sectors.
Norris was quickest in the first while Piastri set the second and third fastest sectors. This just goes to show how incredible Verstappen’s lap was in terms of consistency.
What was all the more impressive about Verstappen’s lap was that he has now set a new lap record around the Suzuka International Circuit. Former F1 driver Sebastian Vettel previously held the record at this track when he set a lap time of 1.27.064 in 2019 while driving for Ferrari.
HIS RADIO WERE SO BACK LETS GOOOOO pic.twitter.com/XwQ74UYdUo
— nini (@SCUDERIAFEMBOY) April 5, 2025
Verstappen has now set a lap time of 1:26.983 in his RB21, which never looked like a car that could challenge for pole all through this Japanese GP weekend. If Verstappen were to convert his pole position into a win on Sunday, this could make the title fight really interesting, as so far many experts believe that only the two McLaren drivers are in the running for the championship.
Is Verstappen now back in the title fight?
McLaren kickstarted the 2025 campaign in ideal fashion as they grabbed a 1-2 in both Australia and China. Norris won the opener in Melbourne while Piastri fought back to win the second race in China.
Norris has so far grabbed 44 points after the first two race weekends and is 10 clear of Piastri, who is currently in fourth. Interestingly, it is Verstappen who is in second with 36 points to his name despite not having won a race yet.
And the Dutchman finds himself in such a strong spot thanks to his sheer consistency. He finished second in Australia before finishing third during the Chinese GP sprint race and then fourth in the main race. So, if Verstappen were to win in Japan, he would surely be back in the title fight.
