Max Verstappen produced an incredible lap to stun McLaren pair Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri and claim a shock pole position for the Japanese Grand Prix.
McLaren have won both races so far this season – one each for Norris and Piastri – and had set the pace by topping all three practice sessions this weekend.
Verstappen’s Red Bull has been off the pace throughout practice, with the four-time world champion saying he was lacking confidence in his car ahead of qualifying. But the Dutchman showed his quality when it mattered to beat Norris by just 0.012 seconds.
Piastri will line up from third on his birthday on Sunday, ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Lewis Hamilton struggled to find pace for Ferrari and will start Sunday’s race from eighth.
But will rain play a part in Suzuka?
Saturday night is expected to bring cooler temperatures around 12C, with a chance of 3-10mm of rain by Sunday morning.
The FIA’s own internal forecast predicts for Sunday morning: “A high chance of light intermittent rain or drizzle, becoming unsettled with showers possible around midday.”
The race is set for a 2pm start, local time. Currently, the chances of rain stand at 40% by 2pm, decreasing to 20% as the race progresses. Temperatures will be around 17C.
The probability of rain overall on Sunday is 80%.
The good news is that the rain is likely to dampen the track, reducing the chances of more trackside fires.
Norris won the last wet race in F1, the season-opener in Australia, as chaos ensued towards the end of the grand prix due to a heavy shower.
Verstappen, who starts on pole, sealed perhaps his finest-ever victory from 17th on the grid in Brazil last November in damp conditions, which effectively secured his fourth championship.
Hamilton and Fernando Alonso are among the other drivers to enjoy the challenge of wet conditions.
