MAX VERSTAPPEN bounced back from his early exit in Oz to take pole position for the Japanese Grand Prix while Lewis Hamilton was encouraged by Mercedes’ progress.
The Red Bull ace was quickest at Suzuka and edged out his team-mate Sergio Perez and McLaren’s Lando Norris, who were second and third respectively.
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Lewis Hamilton was encouraged by Mercedes progress as he out-qualified George Russell for the first time this seasonCredit: Getty
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Max Verstappen claimed pole in JapanCredit: Getty
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Hamilton said the car was ‘enjoyable driving’Credit: Reuters
Verstappen, 26, had dominated qualifying but a late surge from Perez saw him close the gap to within 0.066 seconds.
Hamilton qualified in seventh – the first time he has outdone team-mate George Russell this season – but said he was still encouraged by his team’s progress after telling them not to “eff it up”.
He said: “I was giving it everything.
“The team did a really great job this past week making adjustments to our set-up – this is actually the first weekend I’ve not gone crazy with set-up and am not testing a bunch of things, so I’m back to a bit more normal.
