JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia – Max Verstappen will start Sunday`s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix from pole position. This happened after Lando Norris, who leads the championship, crashed in the final qualifying session (Q3) and ended up qualifying in tenth place.
Verstappen, the current champion, achieved his second pole position this season with an impressive lap. He was just 0.010 seconds faster than McLaren`s Oscar Piastri, who will start second.
Verstappen expressed his delight, saying, “Fantastic! Simply lovely!”
He added, “I`m very happy. I didn`t expect pole here after the practice sessions. But the car felt much better in the evening session, and we made some changes that improved the driving experience significantly.”
“Securing pole position is great and the best starting place for tomorrow. Although I anticipate a challenging race to keep others behind, we`ll definitely give it our best shot,” Verstappen concluded.
Piastri commented that he was satisfied with his performance. “I was quite happy with my lap. I don`t think there was much more time to gain… We were trying to catch up throughout qualifying, and my last lap felt like the best I could do.”
“Max did an excellent job. It seems like high-speed tracks suit Red Bull better, where they perform very well again,” Piastri acknowledged.
Norris, who had been fastest in the second qualifying session (Q2), crashed at Turns 4 and 5 during his first attempt in Q3. He lost control of his car in Turn 4 and, without setting a time in Q3, will start the race from tenth.
He expressed his frustration over the team radio after confirming he was uninjured in the crash.
This incident is a setback for Norris`s lead in the championship, which has already been reduced to just three points by his teammate Piastri after Piastri`s win in Bahrain last weekend.
George Russell from Mercedes will start in third place, followed by Ferrari`s Charles Leclerc in fourth.
Russell mentioned he felt he maximized the car`s potential. “Before qualifying, I would have gladly accepted third place. Seeing how close it was, I was very pleased with my lap, although you always wonder if there was a bit more possible.”
“Realistically, I think this was probably the best we could achieve today. We know that on faster circuits, we might not have the pace of McLarens, and Max once again did a fantastic job, so congratulations to him,” Russell added.
Mercedes` rookie driver, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, will start fifth, ahead of Carlos Sainz, who achieved his best grid position since joining Williams earlier this season.
Lewis Hamilton in the second Ferrari will start seventh, followed by Yuki Tsunoda in the second Red Bull in eighth.
Pierre Gasly for Alpine qualified ninth and will start just ahead of Norris.
Alex Albon in the Williams will start 11th, missing out on the top ten by only 0.007 seconds.
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Qualifying: Top 10
| Position | Driver | Team | Q3 Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1:27.294 |
| 2 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:27.304 |
| 3 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:27.407 |
| 4 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:27.670 |
| 5 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:27.866 |
| 6 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 1:28.164 |
| 7 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:28.201 |
| 8 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull | 1:28.204 |
| 9 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:28.367 |
| 10 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:27.481* |
| *Time set in Q2 before crash |
Liam Lawson in the second Racing Bulls car will start 12th, followed by Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martin in 13th and Isack Hadjar in the other Racing Bull in 14th. Oliver Bearman for Haas qualified 15th.
Lance Stroll narrowly missed 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 on his last attempt in Q1.
Rupert Caldwell 
Tristan Blackwood