Max Verstappen claimed pole position for the Japanese Grand Prix but is under investigation by the stewards.
A blistering first run was good enough in Q3 for the reigning world champion to finish fastest, but an incident with Lando Norris at 130R during the out-lap does mean his pole is under threat.
Q1
Verstappen needed just one flying lap to set the pace in Q1, a tenth clear of the two Ferraris.
Mercedes required a second run on the soft tyre to secure their places after a failed initial attempt to get through on the medium compound.
Both AlphaTauri drivers struggled with brake issues on their laps, but while Yuki Tsunoda reached Q2, Pierre Gasly was livid after being eliminated in 17th.
GAS ?: “Problem with the brakes… what is going on?”
Both AlphaTauri drivers are struggling with brakes, but they’re both inside the top 15 as things stand#JapaneseGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/dVyoT3FHCj
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 8, 2022
Alex Albon had his first lap time deleted for exceeding track limits at Spoon, and his final run wasn’t quite enough as he missed the cut by just 0.055s in 16th.
Kevin Magnussen was a disappointing 18th for Haas as Lance Stroll and Nicholas Latifi brought up the field.
Q2
A second run on fresh tyres saw Sergio Perez go quickest for Red Bull, becoming the first driver to go sub 1m30s.
In the battle to reach Q3, a flurry of improvements late on demoted Daniel Ricciardo to 11th, missing out by just 0.003s after a brilliant lap from Sebastian Vettel in the Aston Martin.
Valtteri Bottas was 12th, ahead of Tsunoda in 13th in his first qualifying at his home circuit, despite continued brake issues.
Zhou Guanyu was 14th in the second Alfa Romeo with Mick Schumacher completing the top 15.
Q3
On the out-lap, Verstappen and Norris almost collided at 130R, as the McLaren took to the grass to avoid the sliding, slow-moving Red Bull.
That was close! ?
Lando Norris just avoids Max Verstappen, who gets a huge kick of oversteer coming into the final chicane
No contact is made and they both continue#JapaneseGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/L0sztfX65N
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 8, 2022
But Max’s first flying lap of 1m29.304s would ultimately be enough for pole by just 0.01s ahead of Charles Leclerc.
Carlos Sainz was only half a tenth further back in third as Perez rounded out the top four.
Alpine beat Mercedes to finish ‘best of the rest’, but it was Esteban Ocon in fifth ahead of Lewis Hamilton with Fernando Alonso and George Russell just behind in seventh and eighth.
Vettel had an emotional Q3 in his final qualifying session at his favourite track, and maintained his 100% top 10 record at Suzuka on a Saturday in ninth.
Norris completed the top 10.