F1 Japanese Grand Prix LIVE: Race updates and times at Suzuka

1) Max Verstappen – 1:28:197

5) Fernando Alonso – +0.489

6) Oscar Piastri – +0.663

7) Lewis Hamilton – +0.669

8) Charles Leclerc – +0.689

9) George Russell – +0.811

Max Verstappen stormed to pole position at the Japanese Grand Prix as his dominance in qualifying continued.

The world champion has locked out the first spot on the grid this season and there was no answer to his pace at Suzuka.

His time of one minute 28.197 beat Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez into second place by just 0.066 seconds, while McLaren’s Lando Norris was the best of the rest.

Verstappen’s run of pole positions now stretches back to the last race of last season and he is now toasting a third pole in Japan.

The Dutchman never looked like being beaten and was quickest across all three qualifying sessions – as well as Saturday morning’s final practice.

Good morning – hope you’re just getting out of bed! – and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of the Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka!

Max Verstappen is on pole for the fourth time in a row this season, with Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez alongside him on the front row.

Lando Norris starts third, with friend Carlos Sainz alongside him on the second row.

Can anyone stop the Red Bulls in Japan?! Lights out is at 6am (BST)!

Russell was released right into the path of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who had to steer left to avoid the Mercedes W15.

Piastri said over team radio: “Very dangerous from Russell.”

While from the outside that would suggest Mercedes once again struggled with an underperforming car – like much of the past two years – Hamilton was in good spirits following Saturday’s qualifying.

Having lamented the gap to pole-sitter Max Verstappen over the team radio during the session, he had a more positive outlook in the aftermath.

“The car has been much nicer to drive this weekend… this is the nicest it has felt in three years,” he said. “I think we did a really good job over the last week, just the analysis we’ve done at the factory to get the car into a sweet spot.

Charles Leclerc was in a state of bemusement prior to qualifying in Japan on Saturday, questioning his Ferrari team’s run-plan at the end of the final practice session.

Leclerc is four points off championship leader Max Verstappen heading into this weekend in Suzuka, following two podiums in the first three races.

Yet on early evidence, Ferrari cannot match the pace of Red Bull this weekend in Japan, with Leclerc unhappy at the Scuderia’s strategy at the end of the third practice session.

Leclerc failed to get a second “push lap” in at the end and was angry that his team kept him in the garage for too long at the end of the one-hour session.

“Honestly, I don’t get it,” Leclerc said over the team radio. “What are we doing to stay in the garage? Oh my god!”

Max Verstappen stormed to pole position at the Japanese Grand Prix as his dominance in qualifying continued.

The world champion has locked out the first spot on the grid this season and there was no answer to his pace at Suzuka.

His time of one minute 28.197 beat Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez into second place by just 0.066 seconds, while McLaren’s Lando Norris was the best of the rest.

Verstappen’s run of pole positions now stretches back to the last race of last season and he is now toasting a third pole in Japan.

The Dutchman never looked like being beaten and was quickest across all three qualifying sessions – as well as Saturday morning’s final practice.

“It’s one of those sessions where you get it once in a season, it’s not a good feeling. We can always improve like every qualifying – if I rely on the feeling at the end of the lap, it’s a good lap but then you look at the board. I’ve tried many different things today but it didn’t work, I don’t have the answer.

“On a track like this, qualifying position is extremely important. We didn’t do a good job.

“From Q1 to Q3, it wasn’t a strong session. We’ve got to look into it.

“Race-pace looks strong, I hope we have the opportunity to overtake. It’s going to be difficult to overtake, I’ll do my best and see.”

“It was quite close at the end. When you want to go to the limit, it doesn’t always work out – most important to be on pole. Overall, a very good day. Tomorrow is what counts.

“It’s great as a team to be P1 and P2, hopefully we can keep that going.”