Max Verstappen Breaks Sebastian Vettel’s Record to Secure Pole in Japan

Max Verstappen(L), Sebastian Vettel(R)

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.

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.

Post Edited By: Vidit Dhawan
Japanese GP Max Verstappen Sebastian Vettel

About the author

Anirban Aly Mandal

Anirban Aly Mandal is an F1 writer at The SportsRush, with over 1000 articles under his belt, Anirban's love for F1 started when he discovered a copy of F1 2014 on his computer. With over half a decade's worth of time spent religiously following the sport, he’s dived deep into the world of motorsports. However, Anirban's expertise goes beyond just writing - he has also written several academic papers focused on the domain of motorsports and the law. His passion for the sport is so immense that he aspires to work as a legal advisor in the most prestigious racing series in the world someday. When it comes to Formula 1, Anirban finds great pleasure in re-watching classic races and idolizes the likes of Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell, and Sebastian Vettel. His top picks include Brazil '91, Silverstone '92, and Germany '19. Outside of the sport, Anirban is an avid sim racer, often found racing on titles like Assetto Corsa, F1 22, and Automobilista. Apart from his interests in gaming, Anirban has a keen interest in philosophy, literature and music.

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