F1 2025 Japanese GP LIVE: Qualifying stream, result and updates as Norris eyes pole position

“I don’t know what to do, I can’t focus. I have so much lap time.”

Bottom-five (16-20): Lawson, Alonso, Antonelli, Hadjar, Stroll

“I still have the same problems, the front is still not gripping.”

Verstappen P4 early on… but not happy with the RB21!

Norris sets the pace early on, with Leclerc in second and Tsunoda in third!

About half the pack have set laps so far!

12:00 remaining… and no trackside fires yet!

Bit of a queue at the end of the pit-lane as we get underway with qualifying in Suzuka!

The Haas drivers of Ollie Bearman and Esteban Ocon the first two cars out of the pit-lane here!

18 minutes where we will lose the slowest five drivers here!

Final practice at the Japanese Grand Prix was again disrupted by grass fires at the side of the track as Lando Norris set the pace.

Friday’s second session was halted twice due to the issue, with dry grass catching fire from the sparks thrown up by the skid blocks under the cars.

The FIA said on Friday evening that preventative measures, including dampening the grass and stationing specific response teams around the track, had been taken.

But it took just six minutes for Saturday’s running in the Suzuka sunshine to be brought to a halt as marshals were sent out with fire extinguishers to deal with more flames.

Here we go then with the third grand prix qualifying session of the season!

McLaren, and more specifically Lando Norris, seem to be the favourites for pole! But can anyone stop them?!

“It is a little bit more nervous, a little bit more unstable in different corner phases,” the Dutchman explained. Verstappen spent a portion of last week in Milton Keynes last week too, keen to analyse the car with his engineers.

“I think it’s a combination of a lot of things. It depends also on the corner speed, the tarmac, tyres, overheating, bumps, kerbs. Some tracks are more limiting than others. Some issues are easier to solve than others. Everyone is trying their hardest to make the car faster.”

It was the straw which broke the camel’s back for Yuki Tsunoda in Formula One: a final unleashing of road rage, with sparks flying on the asphalt and over the airwaves.

Disgruntled over a late-race position swap at last year’s season-opener in Bahrain, Tsunoda was eager to vent his exasperation after the race concluded. As cars trundled aimlessly back to the pits, Tsunoda divebombed his teammate Daniel Ricciardo before swerving erratically – and dangerously – towards the second RB car. “Yeah thanks guys,” Tsunoda ranted, sarcastically, over team radio. “I appreciate it.”

Ricciardo, generally not one to lose his cool, momentarily did: “What the f*** is wrong? I’ll save it… f***ing helmet.”

It is the instance of immaturity Tsunoda himself brings up, at the end of a 15-minute conversation with The Independent, which flicked a switch in his mind: the fiery blow-ups could not continue.

McLaren legend Jochen Mass has suffered a “medical emergency” – with his family revealing the 78-year-old will be “stepping back from all public appearances” while he recovers.

The exact nature of the emergency for German icon Mass, who raced 105 times in F1 from 1973-1982 and won the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix, has not been revealed by his family.

A statement on Sunday read: “The family of Jochen Mass, wishes to share that he is currently recovering from a recent medical emergency.

“While Jochen’s condition is stable, he will be stepping back from all public appearances and engagements for the foreseeable future as he focuses on his recovery.

“We as a family are deeply grateful for the outpouring of support and kindly request privacy during this time. We are wishing Jochen a speedy recovery.”