Max Verstappen snatched a surprise pole in Jeddah as Red Bull found pace under the lights after a tricky practice session.
Max Verstappen clinched pole position for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix after a sharp qualifying session in Jeddah, though even he didn’t expect to be starting from the front row.
“I’m really happy,” said the Red Bull driver. “Honestly, I didn’t see this coming after how things went in practice and earlier in the weekend. But once the sun went down and we made some changes, the car just came alive.”
The reigning World Champion made the most of two late flying laps in Q3 after a red flag reset the session. He edged out McLaren’s Oscar Piastri to secure the top spot.
“The grip came to us at the right moment,” Verstappen added. “Qualifying here is always tricky — with the walls so close, you have to get everything just right. It feels great when you nail it. Starting on pole is obviously the best place to be, even though keeping the lead tomorrow won’t be easy. But we’ll give it everything.”
As for race strategy, Verstappen admitted there’s still some thinking to do — but he’s confident heading into Sunday.
“We’ll see what the best plan is, but so far, I’m just really pleased with how qualifying went. Much better than Bahrain. Now let’s see what we can do in the race.”
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Red Bull comeback: Verstappen grabs surprise Saudi pole Red Bull comeback: Verstappen grabs surprise Saudi pole
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