Red Bull roars, McLaren blinks and Suzuka smolders in a wild F1 qualifying session ahead of Japanese GP

Suzuka bore witness to a storm this Saturday — not of thunder and lightning, but the kind Red Bull Racing fans have been desperate for. Max Verstappen is back on top. In spectacular style. In record-breaking fashion. And in a manner that sent a clear, deafening message: Red Bull isn't done yet.

Just when it seemed like McLaren’s championship charge was unstoppable, Verstappen pulled off a stunner — a 1:26.983 lap, the fastest ever recorded at Suzuka. The reigning World Champion surged to pole by a razor-thin margin of 0.012 seconds over Lando Norris, breaking records and snatching the spotlight from the team that had dominated Q1 and Q2.

Super Max soars at Suzuka

This pole wasn’t just a stat. It was a statement. After a shaky start to 2025, Suzuka marked Max’s first front-row start of the season. But it's more than that — it’s his fourth consecutive pole at the Japanese Grand Prix, continuing an unbeaten streak at this circuit since 2019. Red Bull, powered by Honda for a final time on their home turf, couldn't have asked for a more poetic resurgence.

But where Verstappen soared, Yuki Tsunoda stumbled. In what should’ve been a triumphant homecoming and a dream debut for Red Bull’s main team, the Japanese driver ended up a forgettable 15th on the grid, outqualified by the very man he replaced — Liam Lawson, in P14. For a driver under enormous pressure to deliver and doing so in front of his home crowd, this was a bitter yet ironic start to a high-stakes chapter. While Liam sure had the time of his life, Yuki back in the garage, will be doing extra work before hitting the track tomorrow.

Fires on the track and in the title fight

As if the on-track drama wasn’t enough, grass fires erupted again, disrupting all three sessions after sparks from skid blocks ignited the dry grass. That’s five fires in two days, with red flags waving like warning signs — not just for track conditions, but perhaps for a championship narrative about to shift. The marshals were quick to react, but the signs of tension—both literal and figurative — hung in the air not just for Lando and Max but even for drivers who couldn't achieve their desired results.

McLaren had been the team to beat all weekend. Oscar set the pace in Q1, Lando topped Q2. The papaya orange cars looked destined for front-row supremacy. And yet, in the dying moments of Q3, Red Bull’s No 1 stole their easy breezy dream. Norris, once again narrowly denied pole, finds himself in an all-too-familiar position: so close, yet second-best. Could this Red Bull revival be the beginning of the end of his early-season lead? Or is it just a blip? Hopefully a déjà vu of 2021 and not 2024 for the fans!

Ferrari's future in question!

Meanwhile, the Scuderia continues to flounder. Charles Leclerc in P4 and Lewis Hamilton down in P8 — the team in red just can’t seem to crack the pace puzzle. Even after a surprise sprint win from last week that Hamilton flawlessly delivered! It’s still early days — just three races into the season — but for Hamilton, chasing that record-breaking 8th World Championship is flickering. If Red Bull can bounce back with the right upgrades and strategy calls, surely Ferrari can too. The question is: will they make the right calls in time?

Rising Rookies

While the headlines belong to Max Verstappen and Yuki this weekend, some unexpected stars deserve honourable mentions: Kimi Antonelli took an impressive P6 for Mercedes, outqualifying his teammate in just his third race. Isack Hadjar, in the Racing Bulls, stunned everyone by grabbing P7. And Ollie Bearman, the Haas rookie, continues to turn heads, planting his car solidly in P10.

Sunday promises fireworks. Will Max convert pole into a win and truly mark Red Bull’s return to form or has Lando learnt his lessons to strike back and protect his lead in the championship? Can Yuki silence the doubters and break the second car curse? Ferrari needs a miracle, McLaren needs composure and the rest of the grid is hungrier than ever. As Suzuka smolders and the lights prepare to go out, one thing is clear — the 2025 season just got interesting with four different pole sitters.