Max Verstappen secured a stunning pole position at Suzuka, beating Lando Norris by a mere 0.012 seconds in what has been described as "one of the greatest laps of his F1 career".
The achievement marked his 61st pole position overall and fourth consecutive at the Japanese circuit.
The result surprised everyone in the paddock, including Red Bull bosses Christian Horner and Helmut Marko.
McLaren had appeared poised for a front-row lockout before Verstappen's last-gasp effort.
Max Verstappen secured a stunning pole position at Suzuka, beating Lando Norris by a mere 0.012 seconds in what has been described as "one of the greatest laps of his F1 career"
REUTERS
The Dutchman himself admitted being surprised by his achievement, which has now set him up for what could be an equally unexpected race win.
When asked to describe the sensation of delivering a record-breaking pole position at Suzuka, Verstappen responded with characteristic humour.
"The sensation? Well, I'm happy that I'm first!" he told the assembled media.
He then added: "Maybe if you want to drive the car, I can give it a go. I think you're going to poop your pants."
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Max Verstappen was too fast for the McLarens in qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix
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The comment drew laughter from journalists present at the press conference.
Verstappen immediately questioned whether such language was permitted, asking with a smile: "Is that allowed [saying that] in the press conference?"
He continued more seriously: "It's not easy, but we clearly found a drivable balance."
Verstappen's pole position came despite ongoing issues with his RB21 car.
During Friday practice, he had complained about the car "flexing", prompting considerable overnight work to address the problem.
"It [the car] was a bit better," Verstappen explained. "That issue was a lot better, but at the same time, the through-corner balance is still what we need to work on."
The improvements were only partial solutions to the car's problems.
Verstappen admitted he still lacked full confidence in the car during qualifying.
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"On low fuel, over one lap, some bits you can mask a little. But it's still not like I go into the lap fully confident and comfortable," he said.
"So the last lap I was like, 'Well, I'm just going to try and not feel uncomfortable, just send it in and see what we get.'"
The gamble paid off spectacularly.
Max Verstappen was enthused by the performance of his Red Bull car ahead of Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix
REUTERS
"It's very rare that a lap like that can stick, but this time it worked well," Verstappen said.
"When I crossed the line, I could see my name pop up. But I knew Oscar [Piastri] was still behind me."
The champion acknowledged the ongoing challenges with his car, concluding: "We know that we have some issues that we want to solve, but it's not easy at the moment."