Verstappen clinches pole in Saudi Qualifying drama as Norris crashes out
Red Bull Racing/Red Bull Content Pool
Max Verstappen secured an electrifying pole position for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, narrowly beating Oscar Piastri by a mere one-hundredth of a second. The dramatic end to the Qualifying session was marked by Lando Norris's crash, which ended his session prematurely.
The McLaren duo entered Q3 as favorites after strong practice sessions, but the excitement peaked when Piastri set the initial benchmark. Norris, however, couldn't complete his run, crashing into the wall at the exit of Turn 5 and causing a red flag.
Once Qualifying resumed, the battle for pole intensified. George Russell initially claimed P1, only to be overtaken by Piastri. Verstappen then delivered a stunning lap of 1m 27.294s, clinching the pole by just 0.010s over Piastri.
Russell's time secured him third for Mercedes, followed by Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in fourth and Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli in fifth. Carlos Sainz had his best performance for Williams, securing the sixth spot.
Lewis Hamilton continues to acclimate to Ferrari, placing seventh. Yuki Tsunoda was eighth for Red Bull. Pierre Gasly maintained a consistent performance for Alpine, finishing ninth, with Norris tenth despite his crash.
Alex Albon narrowly missed Q3, ending in 11th for Williams. Liam Lawson expressed disappointment after qualifying 12th for Racing Bulls. Fernando Alonso's run placed him 13th for Aston Martin, with Racing Bulls' Isack Hadjar in 14th and Haas' Ollie Bearman in 15th.
Lance Stroll and Jack Doohan finished 16th and 17th respectively. Kick Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto concluded the grid in 18th and 20th, Bortoleto suffering a significant spin. Esteban Ocon placed 19th for Haas.
The stage is set for a thrilling Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, with Verstappen leading the charge from the front.
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