Max Verstappen will be at the front of the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix starting after snatching pole from the McLarens in the closing seconds of qualifying.

Scroll down to see how the full grid will look when it lines up for the third grand prix of the season, which starts at 6am in the UK — 2pm local time in Suzuka.

The scene is set for a battle royale, given that Verstappen and second-placed Lando Norris were split by just eight-thousandths of a second, with both drivers believing they go the most of their closely-matched cars. Oscar Piastri is likely to be in the mix too, starting in third.

Verstappen’s new team-mate Yuki Tsunoda will start deep in the midfield in fourteenth, having been knocked out at the second Q2 stage, visibly fighting to keep the car on track.

His predecessor, Liam Lawson starts one place ahead — also well behind his team-mate Isack Hadjar who will be seventh on the grid despite complaining of extreme discomfort with his lap belts at the start of qualifying.

Here’s how the grid will line up on Sunday morning, which takes into account Carlos Sainz’s three-place grid penalty for impeding Lewis Hamilton.

2025 Chinese Grand Prix starting grid

1	Max Verstappen  Red Bull 1min 26.983sec		2	Lando Norris McLaren 1min 26.995sec
3	Oscar Piastri McLaren 1min 27.027sec		4	Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1min 27.299sec
5	George Russell Mercedes 1min 27.318sec		6	Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1min 27.555sec
7	Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls 1min 27.569sec		8	Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1min 27.610sec
9	Alex Albon Williams 1min 27.615sec		10	Oliver Bearman Haas 1min 27.867sec
11	Pierre Gasly Alpine 1min 27.822sec		12	Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 1min 27.897sec
13	Liam Lawson Racing Bulls 1min 27.906sec		14	Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull 1min 28.000sec
15	Carlos Sainz Williams 1min 27.836sec (3-place grid penalty)		16	Nico Hülkenberg Sauber 1min 28.570sec
17	Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber 1min 28.622sec		18	Esteban Ocon Haas 1min 28.696sec
19	Jack Doohan Alpine 1min 28.877sec		20	Lance Stroll Aston Martin 1min 29.271sec