Formula One world champion Max Verstappen took pole position for a third straight year at the Japanese Grand Prix on Saturday, with Sergio Perez qualifying second to ensure a Red Bull front-row lockout.
Verstappen who set the pace with a lap of one minute 28.197 seconds, 0.066 seconds clear of Perez, becomes the first driver to take pole in the opening four races of a season since Lewis Hamilton nine years ago.
"It was very close in the end, nevertheless most importantly to be on pole. Of course you want every lap to be perfect but at a track like this it isn't always the case," said Verstappen, looking to bounce back from a mechanical issue which saw him fail to finish the race last time out in Melbourne.
McLaren's Lando Norris will start Sunday's race in third, qualifying 0.292 seconds behind Verstappen.
"We had a good car today, we could fight," said Norris. "We are trying to catch up to the Red Bulls but they are doing a good job so hats off to them."
Ferrari's Carlos Sainz, who won the last race in Australia after Verstappen's withdrawal, qualified in fourth. But his teammate Charles Leclerc was frustrated by a difficult drive which will see him start back in eighth on Sunday.
"That's the best I can do. Honestly, I don't get it" Leclerc said over the team radio towards the end of qualifying.
Sainz said the Red Bulls were operating in a different league to the rest of their field.
"I hope we can fight with them in the race because in the qualifying it was impossible," the Spaniard told the Sky Sports. "In the race it would be nice to have a fight for the podium. I think it should be an interesting battle for the podium.
"I think the Red Bulls are, unfortunately, in a different league around rougher tarmacs, medium, high speed – they are just ahead on downforce."
Leclerc, who is Verstappen's closest title rival and trails the championship leader by just four points after three rounds, admitted that he had had a bad day at the office.
"We can always improve a little bit, but like in every qualifying, if I rely on the feeling at the end of the lap I'm like 'OK, this is a good lap', and then you look at the board and you are a second off," Leclerc said.
"The positive thing, if we have to find one, is that our race pace should be stronger, but on a track like this, the qualifying position is extremely important. And today we didn't do a good job.
"I just hope we have the opportunity to overtake because on a track like this it's going to be very, very difficult to overtake, so I'll do my best."
Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso and McLaren's Oscar Piastri, celebrating his 23rd birthday, finished in fifth and sixth respectively.
Seven-time world champion Hamilton and George Russell, both of Mercedes, finished in seventh and ninth, with local hero Yuki Tsunoda getting one of the biggest cheers of the day sneaking into the final round of qualifying and starting 10th Sunday.
RB's Tsunoda once again finished ahead of his more experienced teammate Daniel Ricciardo, heaping pressure on the Australian driver whose seat is at risk with the highly regarded reserve driver Liam Lawson waiting in the wings.
Alonso's Aston Martin teammate Lance Stroll also struggled and was knocked out in the first round of qualifying. He will start near the back of the grid in 16th.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
The five pillars of Islam
The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
Price, base: Dh1,731,672
Engine: 6.5-litre V12
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm
Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm
Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
EPL's youngest
- Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
15 years, 181 days old
- Max Dowman (Arsenal)
15 years, 235 days old
- Jeremy Monga (Leicester)
15 years, 271 days old
- Harvey Elliott (Fulham)
16 years, 30 days old
- Matthew Briggs (Fulham)
16 years, 68 days old
Villains
Queens of the Stone Age
Matador
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War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
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UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
