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 happy with that – the car really came alive in the night,” he added.
Max Verstappen beat Oscar Piastri by 0.010 seconds. GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP via Getty Images
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.
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.
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.
