Home
Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner was full of praise for Max Verstappen following a remarkable pole position at the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix. Verstappen delivered a sensational lap in Q3, clocking a time of 1m 26.983s to edge out McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri by a razor-thin 0.012s and 0.044s respectively.
Unexpected Triumph After Practice Struggles
Heading into qualifying, Verstappen hadn’t topped any of the three Free Practice sessions, with McLaren consistently leading the timesheets. The Dutch driver had only managed a best result of fifth, and the momentum seemed to be in McLaren's favor.
Despite this, Verstappen executed a perfect final run in Q3. His blistering lap not only shocked fans but earned high praise from his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase, who called the effort "insane."
Horner: "An Outstanding Lap"
Speaking to Sky Sports F1 post-qualifying, Horner expressed his admiration: “Unbelievable. We did not expect that and, about Max, what can you say? Just an outstanding lap. He’s extracted every ounce of performance.
“He and his engineering team were working on the preparation and getting his tyres in exactly the right window, and I think he’s got the most out of it today.
“Getting that pole position was completely against the run of form that we’ve been seeing. A massive result for him and a big lift for the team.”
New Suzuka Lap Record and Season's Fourth Polesitter
Verstappen's performance not only secured his first pole since the 2024 Austrian Grand Prix but also set a new lap record at Suzuka. He becomes the fourth different polesitter of the 2025 season, showcasing the competitive nature of this year’s grid.
Horner on the Weekend Turnaround
“They’ve turned the car upside down this weekend,” Horner said. “We’ve been around the houses with it and Max and his team have done a great job, just getting the car coming into the window and the tyres coming into the right place, and just bring everything together.
“I think the McLarens, if they’d put their laps together, on the theoretical, they’re half-a-tenth quicker. But they didn’t get that together.
“With Max, he left nothing on the table. That was one of his best laps in Qualifying ever.”
2025 F1 Japanese Grand Prix - Qualifying Results
-
Max Verstappen - Oracle Red Bull Racing
-
Lando Norris - McLaren F1 Team
-
Oscar Piastri - McLaren F1 Team
-
Charles Leclerc - Scuderia Ferrari HP
-
George Russell - Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team
-
Kimi Antonelli - Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team
-
Isack Hadjar - Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team
-
Lewis Hamilton - Scuderia Ferrari HP
-
Alex Albon - Atlassian Williams Racing
-
Oliver Bearman - MoneyGram Haas F1 Team
-
Pierre Gasly - BWT Alpine F1 Team
-
Carlos Sainz - Atlassian Williams Racing
-
Fernando Alonso - Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team
-
Liam Lawson - Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team
-
Yuki Tsunoda - Oracle Red Bull Racing
-
Nico Hulkenberg - Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber
-
Gabriel Bortoleto - Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber
-
Esteban Ocon - MoneyGram Haas F1 Team
-
Jack Doohan - BWT Alpine F1 Team
-
Lance Stroll - Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team
