F1 qualifying results: what is the 2024 Japanese GP starting grid?

Max Verstappen starts at the front of the grid yet again on Sunday, after the defending F1 champion continued his clean sweep of poles in the 2024 season.

Red Bull one-two in Japan qualifying

In qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix on Saturday, Verstappen edged out Red Bull team-mate Sergio ‘Checo’ Pérez for pole position, with McLaren’s Lando Norris coming third.

The top five on the grid are completed by Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, who won the Australian GP two weeks ago, and fellow Spaniard Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin).

The United States’ Logan Sargeant, who is yet to score any points for Williams in his second season in F1, will start in 19th after being eliminated in Q1, having managed the second-slowest lap time.

Japanese Grand Prix 2024: starting grid

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

2. Sergio Pérez (Red Bull)

3. Lando Norris (McLaren)

4. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)

5. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)

6. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

7. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

8. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

9. George Russell (Mercedes)

10. Yuki Tsunoda (RB)

11. Daniel Ricciardo (RB)

12. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)

13. Valtteri Bottas (Sauber)

14. Alexander Albon (Williams)

15. Esteban Ocon (Alpine)

16. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)

17. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)

18. Kevin Magnussen (Haas)

19. Logan Sargeant (Williams)

20. Zhou Guanyu (Sauber)

Japanese Grand Prix 2024: start time, how to watch

Held at the Suzuka Circuit in Suzuka City, the Japanese GP takes place at 2pm local time on Sunday 7 April 2024. In the US, that’s 1am ET early on Sunday morning, and 10pm PT on Saturday evening.

Viewers in the States can watch the race on ESPN.

And you can stream the Japanese GP live on fuboTV, which offers new users a free trial.

Who’s leading the 2024 World Drivers’ Championship?

Chasing his fourth world title in a row, Verstappen leads the 2024 Drivers’ Championship, despite having to retire in Australia.

The 26-year-old was victorious in the first two races of the season, in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, before brake failure ended his race in Melbourne. His retirement ended a points-scoring run of 43 consecutive races.

Verstappen is four points in front of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who has secured podium finishes in every race so far this year - but starts down in eighth in Japan. The Monégasque driver, in turn, is just one point ahead of third-placed Pérez in the drivers’ standings.