Event: Japanese Grand Prix
Track: Suzuka Circuit

F1 Starting Grid 2022 Japanese Grand Prix

Pole position qualifier Max Verstappen in parc ferme during qualifying ahead of the 2022 F1 Grand Prix of Japan (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images )

Warm-up lap starts at: 14:00 Local | 07:00 CET | 06:00 UK | 22:00 LA | 14:00 Tokio

Max Verstappen has done what was expected from him today by scoring his 18th F1 pole position at Suzuka. The Red Bull Racing driver will start from P1 tomorrow for the first time on the Japanese track.

Both Ferrari drivers got very close to the Dutch driver who can score his second F1 drivers' title tomorrow. Leclerc only came 0.01s short for pole, while Sainz who will start from P3 was only 0.06s behind.

Best of the rest today was Alpine driver Esteban Ocon. The French driver improved a full second on his second run in Q3 and will start in front of his teammate Fernando Alonso for the 8th time this season.

Aston Martin driver Sebastian Vettel also was over the moon by finally getting into Q3 for the first time since the Azerbaijan GP this season. The normally good race pace of the Aston Martin will certainly give him a good opportunity for scoring points in Japan.

Verstappen will clinch his second F1 title for sure, when he wins and scores fastest lap tomorrow. It doesn't matter what Leclerc's result will be then. If Verstappen doesn't score fastest lap, it will matter where Leclerc ends up.

Lando Norris and Max Verstappen did had a harsh moment during the out lap in Q3 when they nearly collided. This incident was investigated after qualifying and Verstappen got a reprimand from the stewards afterwards.

Pole position is on the left side of the track at Suzuka.

F1 Starting Grid 2022 Japanese GP

PosNoDriverTeamLap TimePole gap
11Max VerstappenRed Bull1:29,304
216Charles LeclercFerrari1:29,314+0,010s
355Carlos SainzFerrari1:29,361+0,057s
411Sergio PérezRed Bull1:29,709+0,405s
531Esteban OconAlpine1:30,165+0,861s
644Lewis HamiltonMercedes1:30,261+0,957s
714Fernando AlonsoAlpine1:30,322+1,018s
863George RussellMercedes1:30,389+1,085s
95Sebastian VettelAston Martin1:30,554+1,250s
104Lando NorrisMcLaren1:31,003+1,699s
113Daniel RicciardoMcLaren1:30,659+1,355s
1277Valtteri BottasAlfa Romeo1:30,709+1,405s
1322Yuki TsunodaAlphaTauri1:30,808+1,504s
1424Zhou GuanyuAlfa Romeo1:30,953+1,649s
1547Mick SchumacherHaas1:31,439+2,135s
1623Alex AlbonWilliams1:31,311+2,007s
1720Kevin MagnussenHaas1:31,352+2,048s
1818Lance StrollAston Martin1:31,419+2,115s
196*Nicholas LatifiWilliams1:31,511-2,207s
PL10*Pierre GaslyAlphaTauri1:31,322+2,018s

*Notes:

  • Nicholas Latifi, Williams #6 penalised five grid places for causing a collision at the previous round
  • Pierre Gasly, AlphaTauri #10 required to start from the pit lane for modifying car under Parc Fermé conditions

F1 Starting Grid 2022 Japanese Grand Prix

 

Possible 2022 Japanese F1 Grand Prix race strategies

With just one hour of free practice this morning, the teams are lacking dry data for the 53-lap Japanese Grand Prix. The fastest strategy on paper is a two-stopper using the soft and medium tyres: probably with the medium used once during the middle stint. Soft followed by two medium stints is another viable two-stopper, for those with two mediums left.

A one-stopper could be possible as well, depending on degradation rates. This could be soft to P Zero White hard, or medium to hard – which is slightly slower on paper but requires less management. What’s clear is that all three compounds have a valid role to play tomorrow and a wide variety of strategies are theoretically possible.

The weather and track conditions on Sunday will ultimately decide the way to go. Track temperatures are expected to be a bit cooler than today and there’s a still a chance of rain. This might favour the softer compounds – while the wet running yesterday could turn out to be extremely useful as well.

✅ Also check out our 2022 Japanese Formula 1 Grand Prix preview.


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11 F1 Fan comments on “F1 Starting Grid 2022 Japanese Grand Prix

    • Donalf

      How can you predict max will win the championship on one hand and then say maybe if something happens he won't that's what they used to call a double headed penny,, you can't lose.

      Reply
      • f1award

        Don, it's pretty obvious to me. Anyway he was right, Leclerc got a penalty for running off a wet track and got a 5 second penalty within minutes after the race. Something UNUSAL

        Reply
        • Donalf

          Yes just the other way around, Jere "predicted a win unless something unusual happened so he wouldn't have won unless something unusual happened in this case it did & fortunately a good win for Max + the championship.

          Reply
  1. F1 Broadcast Team Bias

    The way in which the British broadcasters fawn over Charles (like the do certain others) is uncomfortably pathetic. I like Charles, but he's not even the best driver on his team. If F1 truly wants to broaden and expand its appeal, it needs a new international broadcast team.

    Reply
    • shroppyfly

      Who dyo suggest Sky UK employ to relay things to probably the most knowledgable fan base of f1? An Italian ,a German ? I dont deny they Kiss Lucys A once to often , but hes been , sorry(has been... ) a good draw for Sky, So who dyo suggest?

      Reply
      • Donalf

        Unless my memory is playing tricks again shropp, didn't Ror say that you could do the job as good as anyone,, I wonder if he's still got your case packed ready to go.

        Reply
  2. Donalf

    When lando. N. Lost to to sir Lulu last year at the russian gp,, sir Lulu spoke to lando about something "probably" stick with me son and you can have my place when, so just n I retire,, so Lando stop being a sh*t to your mates because he's not going to retire., why am I saying this because my wife backed you from the start but no longer does, your happy go lucky attitude has changed to being just another whinger, so just saying, be yourself.

    Reply

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