Saudi Arabian GP: Verstappen Grabs Pole in Jeddah, Piastri 2nd, Norris Crashes

Max Verstappen secured an impressive pole position in a thrilling qualifying session for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, which saw championship contender Lando Norris crash out.

Verstappen`s brilliant lap edged out Oscar Piastri by just 0.010 seconds, echoing his performance in Suzuka where he also converted a pole position into a race victory.

Norris will start from 10th place after spinning and hitting the barrier in the first sector during Q3. He expressed his frustration over the radio, aware that he could lose his championship lead to Piastri or Verstappen in Sunday`s race.

Norris holds a narrow lead, just three points ahead of Piastri and eight ahead of Verstappen, who once again demonstrated his ability to perform even with a car that may not be the fastest.

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

Carlos Sainz achieved a commendable sixth place for Williams, while Lewis Hamilton, after narrowly avoiding elimination twice, qualified seventh.

Red Bull`s Yuki Tsunoda and Alpine`s Pierre Gasly will start eighth and ninth, respectively, forming the immediate obstacles for Norris to overcome in what could be a crucial race for the early stages of the Formula 1 season.

How Verstappen Capitalized on Norris`s Mistake

All leading drivers made it to Q3, with McLaren appearing to be the favorites for pole position after dominating practice sessions, similar to the Bahrain event where Piastri started first and won.

Just like the previous week, Norris made a critical error in qualifying, but this time it had significant consequences on the challenging Jeddah circuit, known for testing drivers` limits.

Norris took too much risk at Turn 4, lost control of his McLaren, and crashed into the wall on his first flying lap in Q3. The British driver was visibly disappointed, especially given his prior admission of not being 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 car. Notably, Verstappen was the only front-runner who opted for two runs after the session restarted.

The reigning world champion initially surpassed Piastri by a mere 0.001 seconds. However, both Russell and Piastri then improved, pushing Verstappen to push harder.

Red Bull chose only to change Verstappen’s tires, without refueling or adjusting the setup. He returned to the track and improved his time, beating Piastri’s best lap by 0.010 seconds.

“I really didn`t expect to be on pole here after FP3 and considering the entire weekend,” Verstappen admitted. “The car improved significantly in the night session. We made some final adjustments, and it became much more enjoyable to drive. The grip improved, and on this circuit, a qualifying lap is incredibly challenging due to the proximity of the walls – you have to be perfect.”

“Achieving pole here in qualifying is fantastic for tomorrow, even though I anticipate a tough race to keep them behind. But we will certainly give it our best effort.”

Leclerc once again maximized the Ferrari`s potential to qualify fourth, although he was 0.376 seconds slower than pole. He outperformed Hamilton, who struggled and nearly got eliminated in both Q1 and Q2.

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

Williams` Alex Albon was incredibly close, just 0.007 seconds away from knocking Hamilton out in Q2, and will start 11th, ahead of Racing Bull`s Liam Lawson, who achieved his best qualifying result this season.

Saudi Arabian GP Qualifying Timesheet