SAUDI ARABIAN GP – Max Verstappen beats Oscar Piastri by a hundredth to take pole, as Lando Norris crashes out of Q3
Max Verstappen has beaten Oscar Piastri by a hundredth to take pole for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, the four-time champion set a 27.294 on his final attempt to take back-to-back poles in Jeddah. The Red Bull driver lit up the times on his final attempt to go fastest and take a surprise pole.
Verstappen’s pole follows the difficult weekend in Sakhir which had prompted questions about his future, but with Lando Norris crashing at the start Q3 it opened the door for the Red Bull driver who pipped Piastri to pole. That despite the Dutchman being on semi-used tyres.
Norris had looked to be the favourite despite the fine margins, however was rendered a spectator after topping Q2 on his first attempt in Q3 he crashed bringing out the red flag after taking too much kerb on entry to Turn Four to Six through the sweeping section he took too much throttle. That caused him to clout the wall breaking his suspension and bring out the red flag.
Though Norris will start tenth on the grid, McLaren has had strong race pace and he will need to use that to limit the damage that Verstappen who is eight points behind and Piastri three points can do, either one in theory could take the championship lead if Norris doesn’t limit the damage at a quarter way through the season.
Following the red flag Verstappen made his intent clear a brilliant tenth faster in the first sector, and despite Piastri going faster in the second and third sector it was not enough to overturn the hundredth he still needed to take pole. Norris once again left incredibly frustrated and did not do his confidence any good after admitting he was not fully comfortable with the car coming into Saudi Arabia.
McLaren had made it look like it was between Piastri and Norris for pole, until his crash in the middle of the first sector Norris looked on the pace. But the tiniest of errors left him on a one-way ticket to the wall and perhaps opened the door for Verstappen to take pole.
Piastri put himself fastest at the start of the final runs going three thousandths ahead of George Russell. Russell appeared to come alive as qualifying progressed with the Mercedes showing decent pace allowing him to go a quarter of a second ahead of Charles Leclerc. The Ferrari driver split the two Mercedes as he went just under two tenths faster than Kimi Antonelli.
Verstappen said “I definitely didn’t expect to be on pole here after FP3 and looking at how the whole weekend was. The car came alive in the night. We made some final changes and it was a lot more enjoyable to drive. The grip was coming to me and around here, a qualifying lap is extremely difficult because of all the walls – you need to really nail it.”
Russell said he had “mixed feelings” because he felt there was more in his car, adding that he rued Mercedes’ decision not to use the same strategy as Red Bull after the red flag.
Norris said “Disappointed but I’m fine. The team have a lot of work to do. It has been such a smooth positive weekend so far, so I’m disappointed to have such big setback. But have to take it on the chin, and try and go again tomorrow.”
Carlos Sainz put his Williams sixth as he went just under four-tenths faster than Lewis Hamilton. The Ferrari driver was three thousandths faster than the second Red Bull of Yuki Tsunoda. Tsunoda was a tenth and a half faster than his former teammate Pierre Gasly. Norris’ crash left him tenth.
While Leclerc felt like he got the most out of the car, Hamilton only just made it out of Q1 and Q2, the seven-time champion has looked not to have the same confidence which is so important a street circuit like Jeddah.
The seven-time champion has only qualified better than seventh once when he took pole for the sprint in China and said, “I’ve been nowhere all weekend. I am happier than I was yesterday. It really wasn’t coming easy, so P7 is OK.”
Alex Albon was fastest of though knocked out in Q2, the British Thai driver missed out on the final part of qualifying by seven thousandths. The Williams driver going nine hundredths faster than Liam Lawson, with Fernando Alonso splitting the Racing Bulls after going a tenth behind the New Zealander who couldn’t improve on his final go. Isack Hadjar was over a tenth behind the Aston Martin as he went over two-tenths faster than Ollie Bearman.
Lance Stroll was fastest of those knocked out in Q1, the Canadian seven hundredths behind his teammate Alonso. Stroll went eight hundredths ahead of the Alpine of Jack Doohan. Nico Hulkenberg was three hundredths faster than Esteban Ocon, the Haas driver splitting the Sauber’s as he went three and a half tenths faster than Gabriel Bortoleto, after he spun on his final attempt at the first corner.
Related
- SAUDI ARABIAN GP – Lando Norris a quarter of a tenth faster than Oscar Piastri in third practice
- SAUDI ARABIAN GP – Lando Norris leads a McLaren one-two by a tenth and a 432§half in second practice
- SAUDI ARABIAN GP – Pierre Gasly fastest going seven hundredths faster than Lando Norris in first practice
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