Anthony Davidson saw Max Verstappen do 1 ‘fantastic’ thing at Japanese GP

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Sky Sports F1 pundit Anthony Davidson saw Red Bull driver Max Verstappen do one ‘fantastic’ thing ‘all the time’ through qualifying for the 2024 Japanese GP at Suzuka.

The 26-year-old penned his 36th career pole position in Formula 1 this Saturday as Red Bull secured their first one-two in qualifying this year. Verstappen registered a 1:28.197 lap in Q3 to pip teammate Sergio Perez for P1. The 34-year-old was 0.066 seconds from stealing pole.

It is Perez’s best qualifying result this year after ending Q3 at the Bahrain GP in P5, the Saudi Arabian GP in P3 for the Saudi Arabian GP and the Australian GP in P3 before dropping to P6 with a penalty. Verstappen has secured pole position at each of the opening four rounds yet.

Max Verstappen stunned Anthony Davidson at the 2024 Japanese GP

Verstappen is even on a run of five consecutive pole positions after topping qualifying at the 2023 Abu Dhabi GP. The Dutchman sealing pole at the upcoming Chinese GP, the Miami GP and the Emilia Romagna GP could see Verstappen set the new record at the Monaco GP, too.

Ayrton Senna set Formula 1’s current record for the most consecutive pole positions at eight over the 1988 and 1989 seasons. While Alain Prost and Lewis Hamilton share the record for the most consecutive pole positions in one season with seven in 1993 and 2015 respectively.

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But it was not Verstappen’s recent qualifying dominance that astounded Davidson and drew praise for the Red Bull racer at the Japanese GP. Instead, the former Minardi, BAR and Super Aguri driver was in awe of the three-time champion’s dominance across Suzuka’s first sector.

“This has been where he has been fantastic all the time we’ve seen this driver here at this circuit,” Davidson declared on Sky Sports F1 (6/4, 07:06). “That is Max Verstappen’s sector.”

Sector 1 was not the true ‘Max Verstappen sector’ in qualifying at Suzuka

Red Bull driver Verstappen set the overall fastest sector times in S1 and S3 during qualifying for the Japanese GP. He penned a personal best time of 30.777s in S1. But despite Davidson calling that ‘Verstappen’s sector’, the Dutchman’s true dominance came in the final sector.

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His 17.503s run across Suzuka’s S3 was 0.131s faster than Lando Norris as the McLaren ace posted the second-best sector time. Verstappen’s margin on the 24-year-old in S1 was just 0.023s faster. Perez also set the best time during S2 at 39.763 over Verstappen’s 39.850s.

What makes Verstappen’s dominance in Sector 3 all the more remarkable is that it only runs from the entry to 130R, the final chicane and the run to the finish line. Only the last chicane is also a braking point. Although the speed taken into 130R depends on the exit from Spoon.