Suzuka, Japan, 23 September 2023 (dpa/MIA) - World champion Max Verstappen destroyed the field to claim pole position for Sunday's Japanese Formula One Grand Prix for Red Bull.

Verstappen topped all three practice sessions as Red Bull rebounded strongly from their first season defeat last weekend in Singapore, and he then also dominated qualifying by clocking 1 minute 28.877 seconds on the 5.807-kilometres Suzuka International Racing Circuit.

The Dutchman got a ninth pole of the season and 29th overall more than half a second ahead of McLaren's Oscar Piastri, who achieved his best career qualifying result in second in his debut season.

Piastri's team-mate Lando Norris was third ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, Red Bull's Sergio Perez, and Singapore winner Carlos Sainz in the second Ferrari.

"Incredible weekend so far. Especially in qualifying when you can push it to the limit, it felt really really nice," Verstappen said.

"We had a bad weekend in Singapore but I already felt from the preparation we had that this would be a good track. From lap one it has been really nice. You try to find little improvements here and there and to be on pole here is fantastic."

Piastri said: "We thought we would have a decent chance around here. But you've still got to make it happen and so happy to be second and the team second and third. Very, very happy."

Looking at Sunday, he added: "There is only one car ahead to try and overtake so I'll try and make that happen."

Q1 was red-flagged halfway through after Logan Sargeant crashed his Williams into the barriers in the last turn after oversteering. The car was heavily damaged but the American driver walked away seemingly unharmed.

The big Japanese crowd delighted in their Yuki Tsunoda driving his Alpha Tauri into Q3 and ninth on the grid, behind the Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell but ahead of Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso.

Alpha Tauri had earlier Saturday said that Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo would be retained for the 2024 season.

Red Bull can clinch a second consecutive and sixth overall constructors' championship in Sunday's home race of their engine supplier Honda.

They need to outscore second-placed Mercedes by at least a point and not be outscored by Ferrari by 24 points or more on the fast Suzuka track which suits their car better than the Singapore street circuit.

Verstappen can not yet clinch a third consecutive drivers' title on Sunday but can do so at the following race in Qatar on October 8.

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