Vettel halts Leclerc's streak to snag Japanese GP pole

In a typhoon-delayed qualifying ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka International Racing Course, Ferrari teammate Sebastian Vettel wound up snapping Charles Leclerc's streak of five straight poles.

Vettel's time of 1:27.064 was a new track record.

"Pole was not possible, Seb was too quick," Leclerc conceded following the qualifying round, according to Formula1.com. "Congratulations to him."

With the prancing horses locking out the front row, the rest of the field falls neatly behind, with Mercedes locking out the second row, Red Bull taking the third row, and McLaren comprising the fourth row.

Despite the sun being out and Typhoon Hagibis having passed, the qualifying session was a blustery one, resulting in two red flags through Q1 after crashes from Robert Kubica and Kevin Magnussen.

The race is slated to get underway three hours after the conclusion of qualifying.

Daniel Ricciardo's maiden season with Renault continues after the Aussie left Red Bull last year. Ricciardo was a surprise casualty of Q1, posting a dreadful time in the first sector before abandoning his lap. Meanwhile, teammate Niko Hulkenberg didn't perform much better, finishing last in Q2, meaning Renault will comprise the eighth row to start the race.