Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Qualifying: Verstappen Clinches Pole Position

Max Verstappen achieved a fantastic pole position in a thrilling qualifying session for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, which saw Lando Norris crash out.

Verstappen narrowly beat Oscar Piastri by just 0.010 seconds with an exceptional lap. This mirrors his performance two weeks prior in Suzuka, where he also converted a pole position into a race victory.

Norris will start from 10th place. He lost control and crashed into the barrier in the first sector during Q3`s initial runs. He expressed his frustration over the radio, especially considering the potential points loss to Piastri or Verstappen in Sunday’s race.

Norris holds a slim lead in the championship, just three points ahead of Piastri and eight ahead of Verstappen. Verstappen`s pole position underscores his consistent ability to perform at the highest level, even when his car might not be considered the fastest.

George Russell initially held pole position but ultimately qualified third, followed by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Mercedes` Kimi Antonelli.

Carlos Sainz delivered a strong performance for Williams, securing sixth place, while Lewis Hamilton managed to qualify seventh after navigating through two close calls for elimination.

Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly will line up in eighth and ninth respectively, representing the immediate challenge Norris will face as he attempts to climb back up the order in what is shaping up to be a critical race early in the Formula 1 season.

Saudi Arabian GP Qualifying: Top 10

Verstappen Capitalizes on Norris`s Crash

All leading drivers made it to Q3, with McLaren appearing to be the team to beat after dominating practice sessions, similar to the Bahrain GP where Piastri started first and won.

However, just like last week, Norris made a critical error during qualifying, this time with severe consequences on the challenging Jeddah circuit.

Norris drove too aggressively over the kerb at Turn 4, which caused him to lose control and spin into the wall on his first timed lap in Q3. The British driver was visibly upset, especially given his prior admission of not feeling completely comfortable with the car setup in Saudi Arabia.

Piastri was the only driver to set a lap time before the session was red-flagged due to Norris`s damaged McLaren. Notably, Verstappen was the only front-runner who opted for two runs after the session resumed.

Initially, Verstappen edged out Piastri by a mere 0.001 seconds, but both Russell and Piastri then posted faster times. This prompted Verstappen to push even harder.

Red Bull chose to only change Verstappen’s tires, without refueling or adjusting the car setup, sending him back out. He then improved his time, surpassing Piastri’s leading time by 0.010 seconds.

Verstappen admitted his pole position was unexpected, especially after FP3 and considering the weekend`s earlier sessions.

“The car transformed in the night. We made some final adjustments, and it became much more enjoyable to drive. The grip improved, which is crucial here where a qualifying lap is incredibly demanding due to the proximity of the walls – you have to be perfect,” Verstappen explained.

He added, “Achieving pole here in qualifying is ideal for tomorrow, although I anticipate a tough race to keep everyone behind. We`ll give it our best shot.”

Leclerc extracted the maximum from his Ferrari, qualifying fourth but still 0.376 seconds off pole. He outperformed his teammate Hamilton, who struggled and narrowly avoided elimination in both Q1 and Q2.

Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, was consistently slower than Leclerc throughout the lap and lacked confidence with the car this weekend.

Williams` Alex Albon was incredibly close, just 0.007 seconds away from eliminating Hamilton in Q2. Albon will start 11th, ahead of Racing Bull’s Liam Lawson, who achieved his best qualifying position of the season.

Saudi Arabian GP Qualifying Timesheet