Max qualifies fourth: "Not a great lap"

Published on 08 October 2016 by Stefan Meens

Max Verstappen will start the Japanese Grand Prix from fourth place. Nico Rosberg took pole position ahead of his Mercedes team mate Lewis Hamilton. Kimi Raikkonen completed the top three. The Ferrari driver lines up next to Max on the second row of the grid.

“Today, we weren’t as good in the slower corners, which is usually our strong point”, Max told Verstappen.nl. “It might be caused by the temperature, but we’ll have to analyse why. The first sector was really good, can’t complain there. But it wasn’t a great lap. Qualifying wasn’t that great, but from here we can take the fight to Ferrari. A lot will depend on strategy as overtaking is difficult around here. It’s going to be close race.”

Whereas FP3 started on a damp track, the Suzuka circuit was dry throughout qualifying. Q1’s most surprising casualty is Jenson Button. The McLaren driver joins both Saubers, Manors and Kevin Magnussen in the group that strands in the first part of qualifying.

Mercedes progress with both their drivers managing a quick enough time on the medium Pirellis. Red Bull Racing is attempting the same strategy, but in the final stages decides to play it safe by sending out both Max and Ricciardo on softs. However, the team calls the drivers back on their warm-up lap, once they realise both will make it through.

In Q2, the order at the front is unchanged with both Mercedes, Ferraris and Red Bulls convincingly making it into the final part of qualifying. Both Williams, the two Scuderia Toro Rossos, Fernando Alonso and Jolyon Palmer do not make the top ten.

Both Red Bulls are first out on track in Q3. In his first run, Max laps the Suzuka circuit eleven thousands of second quicker than team mate Ricciardo. By that point, the pair sit in fifth and sixth behind both Mercedes and Ferraris.

In his second and final run, Max improves on his earlier lap time, propelling him to a temporarily third in the timing boards, before Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel split Mercedes and Red Bull. Max therefore finishes qualifying in fifth. However, a three-place grid penalty for Vettel, ensures the Dutchman will start the Japanese Grand Prix from fourth.

 Japanese Grand Prix - Suzuka - Saturday 8 October

QUALIFYING RESULTS

01 Nico Rosberg        Mercedes                    1:31.858 1:30.714 1:30.647 
02 Lewis Hamilton      Mercedes                    1:32.218 1:31.129 1:30.660 
03 Kimi Räikkönen      Ferrari                     1:31.674 1:31.406 1:30.949 
04 Sebastian Vettel    Ferrari                     1:31.659 1:31.227 1:31.028 
05 Max Verstappen      Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer   1:32.487 1:31.489 1:31.178 
06 Daniel Ricciardo    Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer   1:32.538 1:31.719 1:31.240 
07 Sergio Perez        Force India Mercedes        1:32.682 1:32.237 1:31.961 
08 Romain Grosjean     Haas Ferrari                1:32.458 1:32.176 1:31.961 
09 Nico Hulkenberg     Force India Mercedes        1:32.448 1:32.200 1:32.142 
10 Esteban Gutierrez   Haas Ferrari                1:32.620 1:32.155 1:32.547 
11 Valtteri Bottas     Williams Mercedes           1:32.383 1:32.315 
12 Felipe Massa        Williams Mercedes           1:32.562 1:32.380 
13 Daniil Kvyat        Toro Rosso Ferrari          1:32.645 1:32.623 
14 Carlos Sainz        Toro Rosso Ferrari          1:32.789 1:32.685 
15 Fernando Alonso     McLaren Honda               1:32.819 1:32.689 
16 Jolyon Palmer       Renault                     1:32.796 1:32.807 
17 Jenson Button       McLaren Honda               1:32.851 
18 Kevin Magnussen     Renault                     1:33.023 
19 Marcus Ericsson     Sauber Ferrari              1:33.222 
20 Felipe Nasr         Sauber Ferrari              1:33.332 
21 Esteban Ocon        MRT Mercedes                1:33.353 
22 Pascal Wehrlein     MRT Mercedes                1:33.561 

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