show off with this Max Verstappen returns to pole position in Japan It was a splash of cold water for all his rivals. But especially Carlos Sainz, After taking the last two pole positions (Monza and Singapore) and two back-to-back podiums, he achieved his best-ever streak with Ferrari heading into Suzuka after finishing third in Italy and winning at Marina Bay. The Madrid driver hoped that the characteristics of the fast and highly efficient Japanese track would enhance Red Bull’s merits, but he did not expect Max to be so far off his time, almost a second off his time. Sainz, who is sixth on the grid, will face a complex race this Sunday.

Carlos is left behind teammate Leclerc (4th), He ended with disappointment: “It was a bit of a return to reality. After two very good weekends, we’re a bit like pre-Monza here, fight with mercedes And together McLaren a bit further.”

“It was a complicated weekend, we played a lot with the car’s settings to find things and after changing it so much I couldn’t find the right setting for Suzuka and on top of that in qualifying the Spaniard said: ‘In the end, sixth place, which is pretty much where the car is, it’s too much of a problem. “There was nothing, because McLarens seem to be a little bit ahead here,” he said.

In terms of racing, Sainz’s predictions are not very optimistic: “McLaren are better than us on tracks with high loads and very fast corners. In Sector 1 they and Red Bull are one step ahead. In terms of race pace we’ll have to see tomorrow, we’re all pretty equal, but I hope it’s a place where we’ll try to hold on to where we’re going to start, more or less.” There will be a race. Checo is clearly going much faster than us and of course McLaren too, so I think it will be a success.” It’s a tough race with Mercedes,” he concluded.