Damon Hill drops 4-word reaction to Max Verstappen securing a shock pole position for the F1 Japanese GP

F1 Grand Prix Of Japan - Qualifying - Source: Getty — Pole position qualifier Max Verstappen - Source: Getty

Former F1 driver Damon Hill had a four-word reaction to Max Verstappen's pole at the Japanese Grand Prix. Hill, from his official Instagram account, hailed the Red Bull driver and left a strong statement for the latter.

Verstappen pulled off a mighty performance in Suzuka after he snatched the pole from the clutches of Lando Norris. The Dutchman posted a brilliant 1:26.983 on the timesheet and was 12-thousandths of a second faster than the Briton.

Interestingly, this lap by Max Verstappen was the fastest ever lap around Suzuka, and the fastest final lap of the ground effect era. With this, the four-time world champion secured his fourth straight pole at this circuit.

Hailing Verstappen's achievement, the 1996 F1 champion had a strong reaction as he took to his official social media account, shared F1's post on Verstappen, and wrote,

"Not to be denied!"

Here's the screenshot of Damon Hill's story on Instagram:

Oscar Piastri picked up P3 ahead of Charles Leclerc. George Russell of Mercedes and Kimi Antonelli registered P5, and P6, respectively. Isack Hadjar, Lewis Hamilton, Alex Albon, and Oliver Bearman wrapped up the top 10.

Most of the eyes were on Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda after last week's swap move between Red Bull and Racing Bulls. However, both of them disappointed the fans as they registered P14 (Lawson) and P15 (Tsunoda).

Max Verstappen let his feelings known after magnificent pole in Japan

Pole position qualifier Max Verstappen of Oracle Red Bull Racing, Third placed qualifier Oscar Piastri and Second placed qualifier Lando Norris of McLaren - Source: Getty Images

Max Verstappen shared his thoughts after he pulled off the brilliant final flying lap at the Suzuka International Circuit. Here's what he said in the post-qualifying interview:

"Each session we kept making little improvements. Then the last lap was just flat out. In a Formula 1 car around here is insane. This is a proper highlight for us to be back on pole here. There might be some rain around but we will do our very best."

This is Max Verstappen's first pole this season, that too at a track he loves racing. Verstappen, with 36 points, currently trails the F1 world championship to Lando Norris (44) by eight points after two races and a sprint.

In the Constructors' Championship, McLaren leads the table significantly with 78 points and is ahead of Mercedes (57 points), and Red Bull (36 points).

About the author

Sabyasachi Biswas is a passionate motorsport journalist for Sportskeeda, with a Master's degree in Mass Communication and Journalism. He has over eight years of experience in the field and has over 10000 published articles on the internet.

As a dedicated follower of motorsport, Sabyasachi watches events closely, ensuring his reports are thorough and supported by reputable sources. He is inspired by Max Verstappen’s fearless attitude and dreams of attending the Indian GP if it returns to the calendar. An ardent F1 fan over the years, he enjoyed watching Felipe Massa and Sebastian Vettel and is now following Verstappen's dominant journey on the track.

Apart from F1, he is a big-time NASCAR and football (also soccer) fan. Sabyasachi supports Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports and Spanish club, Real Madrid.

He was a sub-junior level footballer and won inter-district quizzes and debate competitions back in school. A travel freak by nature, Sabyasachi likes to try different cuisines and learn about new cultures. When away from his keyboard, he enjoys soccer, geopolitics, and playing with Khushi & Ubbu - his adorable beagles.

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Edited by Mitali