Max Verstappen makes his feelings known after securing pole position for the F1 Japanese GP

Four-time world champion Max Verstappen delivered a sensational lap to get pole position for the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix. After the noteworthy performance in the qualifying session, the Dutchman said getting a pole amid a challenging session was rewarding.

The qualifying session of the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix brought many surprises, especially for Red Bull Racing. Yuki Tsunoda, who had shown great promise throughout free practice sessions, exited in Q2 and finished below Liam Lawson at P15.

However, Verstappen cruised through the Q1 session and challenged McLaren upfront. Lando Norris held provisional pole position with a time of 1:26.995 minutes before the four-time world champion came flying through sector three.

The Dutchman pushed the throttle through the final sector to beat Norris' time by a single hundredth of a second to clinch a sensational pole position. After struggling throughout the weekend in Japan, the pole victory in the qualifying session certainly brought relief to the entire Red Bull camp.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the qualifying session, Max Verstappen said:

"We tried the best we could to get the best possible balance. It wasn't easy, but every session we had little improvements. That made the difference. The last lap was just flat-out, and it is incredibly rewarding. We will look to tomorrow and do our best."

Verstappen was ecstatic on the radio as he screamed and laughed with his race engineer to celebrate the big moment. This is his first pole win of the 2025 season after McLaren dominated in Australia and China.

That being said, Red Bull will still have to be cautious during the race on Sunday, April 6. McLaren teammates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri will be chasing Verstappen from P2 and P3 starts, respectively. They have the pace and performance required to beat Red Bull.

Nonetheless, as Verstappen said, his car has improved through each session this weekend, and the starting grid order only makes things exciting.

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Christian Horner lauds Max Verstappen's 'unbelievable' pole win

Christian Horner [L] with Max Verstappen [R] at F1 Grand Prix Of Japan - Source: Getty

Max Verstappen set the qualifying session of the Japanese GP on fire by clinching a sensational pole victory with a lap time of 1:26.983 minutes. After trailing behind McLaren for a major half of the session, he nailed the fastest third sector on the last lap to beat Lando Norris' time.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was impressed by Verstappen's result and said (via SkySports):

"Unbelievable! We didn't expect that. It was an outstanding lap from Max, one of his best laps in qualifying ever. He extracted every ounce of performance, and getting pole was against the run of form we have been seeing and a big boost for the team. We have turned the car upside down, and Max and his team have done an amazing job."

Last year in Suzuka, Max Verstappen won the race, but this season sees steep competition from McLaren, which could make the race challenging for him.