F1 Today | Brutal blow for Verstappen as Antonelli eclipses Russell at Suzuka

The young Italian driver delivered a near-perfect lap after showing strong pace all weekend, ultimately finishing three tenths clear of his teammate and securing a second consecutive pole position following his Shanghai effort two weeks ago.

A painful qualifying session, meanwhile, for Max Verstappen, who was sensationally knocked out in Q2 in P11, edged out by rookie Arvid Lindblad. The Brit managed to make it through alongside Isack Hadjar, who continues to impress at the start of the season despite Red Bull lacking a truly competitive car.

Following the Japanese Grand Prix, Formula 1 is heading into a month-long break after the cancellation of both the Saudi Arabian and Bahrain rounds, which were originally set to fill the April schedule. That gap could open the door for Max Verstappen to make further appearances in the German-based NLS series.

However, the Dutchman is not expected to take part in NLS3 on April 11, as his team is already committed to racing at Paul Ricard that same weekend, making participation unfeasible, he commented.

There is still a possibility he could feature in the Nürburgring 24h qualifiers on May 24-25. With Lucas Auer currently the only confirmed driver in the car, and both Daniel Juncadella and Jules Gounon unavailable, Verstappen stepping in would represent a logical solution to share the workload, the four-time F1 world champion added.