JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia — Max Verstappen secured pole position for Sunday’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix after championship leader Lando Norris crashed out in Q3 and qualified tenth.
Reigning champion Verstappen took his second pole position of the season with a remarkable lap that beat McLaren’s Oscar Piastri to the fastest time by 0.010 seconds.
“Oh my god, guys!” Verstappen said. “Simply lovely, that!
“I’m very happy. I didn’t expect to be on pole here after FP3 and looking at how the week was, but the car came alive in the night and we made some final changes and it was a lot more enjoyable to drive,” he said.
“It’s really satisfying to be here in first in qualifying and it’s the best position for tomorrow even though I think in the race it will be tough to keep them behind, but we’re going to give it a good go.”
Max Verstappen beat Oscar Piastri by 0.010 seconds. Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Piastri, meanwhile, said he was happy with the job he did.
“To be honest, I was pretty happy with it. It wasn’t too much more left in that lap … We were playing catch-up a little bit through the first part of qualifying and then that last lap felt more and less like the best I could’ve done.
“I think Max has done a good job. It’s another high-speed circuit for [Red Bull], where they seem to be having a little bit more success – but a good job again.”
Norris had set the fastest time in Q2 but crashed at Turns 4 and 5 on his first attempt in Q3. He was on a quick lap when he lost the rear of the car midway through Turn 4, and without a time to his name in Q3 will start the race tenth.
“F—— idiot,” he said over team radio after confirming he was unharmed in the incident.
The incident will be another blow to Norris’ fragile championship lead, which teammate Piastri narrowed to just three points with victory in Bahrain last weekend.
George Russell secured third place on Sunday’s grid for Mercedes ahead of the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc in fourth.
Russell said he got the maximum of out of the car in the session. “Before the session I would have definitely taken a P3. I saw how close it was, I was really happy with the lap but you always think there might have been a little bit more in there.
“Being realistic I think this was probably the maximum today, we know on these higher speed circuits we probably don’t quite have the pace of the McLarens and obviously Max did an amazing job again so congratulations to him.”
Mercedes’ rookie driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli will start fifth ahead of Carlos Sainz, who secured his best grid position since moving to Williams earlier this year.
Lewis Hamilton could only manage seventh for Ferrari ahead of the second Red Bull of Yuki Tsunoda in eighth.
Pierre Gasly secured ninth for Alpine and will start one place ahead of Norris.
Alex Albon will start 11th for Williams after falling 0.007 seconds shy of a place in the top ten.
1. Max VerstappenRed Bull1:27.2942. Oscar PiastriMcLaren1:27.3043. George RussellMercedes1:27.4074. Charles LeclercFerrari1:27.6705. Kimi AntonelliMercedes1:27.8666. Carlos SainzWilliams1:28.1647. Lewis HamiltonFerrari1:28.2018. Yuki TsunodaRed Bull1:28.2049. Pierre GaslyAlpine1:28.36710. Lando NorrisMcLaren1:27.481**Time set in Q2 before crash
Liam Lawson secured 12th on the grid for Racing Bulls ahead of the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso in 13th and the second Racing Bull of Isack Hadjar in 14th. Oliver Bearman took 15th on the grid for Haas.
Lance Stroll missed out on a place in Q2 by 0.074 seconds and will start 16th for Aston Martin ahead of Alpine’s Jack Doohan in 17th place.
Nico Hulkenberg will start 18th for Sauber ahead of Haas driver Esteban Ocon and Brazilian rookie Garbiel Bortoleto, who spun at the first corner on his last Q1 attempt.
