A &ldquo;fired up&rdquo; <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sports/other-sports/article/verstappen-denies-norris-british-grand-prix-pole-23296835" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">Max Verstappen</a> took pole position on Saturday for the Japanese Grand Prix, as he looks to take a giant stride towards a third-straight world title this weekend.&nbsp;
The Red Bull driver bounced back from a fifth-place finish at last week&rsquo;s Singapore Grand Prix to top the timesheets ahead of McLaren pair Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.&nbsp;
Verstappen said: &ldquo;Singapore didn&rsquo;t happen&rdquo; after he roared round the Suzuka circuit in a fastest time of 1min 28.877sec&mdash;0.581sec quicker than Piastri. The runaway championship leader warned there was more to come in Sunday&rsquo;s race, saying he was &ldquo;very fired up to have a good weekend here.&rdquo; &ldquo;As soon as we put the car on the track it&rsquo;s been very enjoyable to drive, very predictable, which I think is the most important,&rdquo; said Verstappen. &ldquo;Lap after lap in qualifying was getting better.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Verstappen, who leads teammate and nearest rival Sergio Perez by 151 points in the championship standings, cannot clinch the title on Sunday but a favourable result can set him up to seal the deal at the Qatar Grand Prix next month.&nbsp;
Also Read: <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sports/other-sports/article/verstappen-fastest-in-2nd-japanese-gp-practice-23310528" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">Verstappen fastest in 2nd Japanese GP practice</a>
He has won 12 of 15 races so far this season, including a record streak of 10 in a row that ended in Singapore. He and Perez can help Red Bull clinch the constructors&rsquo; championship in Japan. &ldquo;That was the aim, especially coming from Singapore, I wanted to have a really strong weekend,&rdquo; said Verstappen, who finished fastest in all three Suzuka practices.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Of course, we know that this is the first proper opportunity to win it.&rdquo; Verstappen said he was enjoying cutting loose on the sweeping high-speed curves of Suzuka after the tight street circuit of Singapore.
&ldquo;These high-speed corners are really well-balanced and you can push it to the limit,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s just really enjoyable to do.&rdquo;&nbsp;
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The Red Bull driver bounced back from a fifth-place finish at last week’s Singapore Grand Prix to top the timesheets ahead of McLaren pair Oscar Piastri

Japanese GP: ‘Fired up’ Max Verstappen on pole

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The Red Bull driver bounced back from a fifth-place finish at last week’s Singapore Grand Prix to top the timesheets ahead of McLaren pair Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris

Japanese GP: ‘Fired up’ Max Verstappen on pole

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Japanese GP: ‘Fired up’ Max Verstappen on pole

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