Four out of four. Max Verstappen once again dominated qualifying Saturday by taking his fourth pole of the season also in Suzuka (Japan). The Dutchman dominated the session and with Checo Pérez they returned power to Red Bull, after the break in Australia, where Carlos Sainz won with his Ferrari.
The Madrid native took fourth position on the starting grid for this Sunday’s race (7:00 a.m. Spanish time) and Fernando Alonso was positioned in fifth position to start.
“In general terms, the qualifying laps have been very good and it has been a great result for the team,” explained Verstappen, 26, after signing the 36th pole of his F1 career, the fourth in the four first tests of the year, with which he will start as the top favorite for the victory that will consolidate him in the leadership. He is now only 4 points ahead of Charles Leclerc, after his retirement in Australia due to a breakdown.
“I hope to be able to fight for the podium with Lando Norris, with Fernando and with the Mercedes,” commented Sainz, 29, who achieved an epic victory in Melbourne, just two weeks after an appendicitis operation.
“Because I think the Red Bulls are going to give us all a lot of trouble,” commented the Spanish Ferrari driver into Dazn’s microphone.
For his part, Fernando Alonso, who was fifth in the qualifying session, noted that “I did not expect to be so high in qualifying”, in which his “last lap was a little above my possibilities.”
“I felt good in the car, we were quite competitive in the time trial. I didn’t expect to be so high, finishing four tenths off pole. Six months ago we were here, in September, a second and a half behind Verstappen; and now we are four tenths away,” Alonso stressed.
“I am very happy with the step the team has taken. It has been a good time trial, in which we were ahead of the Mercedes and in front of a McLaren,” the Asturian gave himself credit.
