Verstappen Steals Pole as Norris Crashes in Q3 Drama

Max Verstappen clinches pole in Jeddah as Lando Norris crashes out, while Oscar Piastri steps up to secure a stellar P2.

After three intense practice sessions, it was time for the real action in Jeddah: qualifying for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. On a high-speed street circuit where overtaking is possible but risky, grid position is everything — and qualifying was as dramatic as expected.

Jeddah’s layout is notorious: narrow walls, blazing speed (second only to Monza), and a zero-margin-for-error vibe. Drivers knew the stakes, and the tension showed.

McLaren came in hot.
Having dominated all three practice sessions, McLaren looked like the team to beat. But conditions had changed — the track was now 14°C cooler than in FP3, meaning tighter gaps and fresh chances for Ferrari, Mercedes, and of course, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.

Q1 – High Risks, Tight Margins

The session kicked off under cooler conditions — 38°C track temp — and right away, everyone rushed out, wary of red flags ruining their laps.

Early pace-setters included Ocon, Bearman, and Doohan, but the real action started when Lando Norris lit up the timesheets with a 1:28.026. Oscar Piastri immediately responded, edging ahead by 0.007 seconds. The McLaren duo looked sharp.

Verstappen slotted in just behind, while Russell and Tsunoda showed strong form. Meanwhile, Leclerc and Hamilton flirted dangerously close to the drop zone.

In the final moments, Verstappen snatched P1 with a 1:27.778. Norris, Piastri, and Antonelli followed, while Ocon, Hülkenberg, Doohan, Stroll, and rookie Bortoleto were knocked out.

Q2 – Leaders Flex, Surprises Brew

As Q2 unfolded, the usual suspects stepped up. Sainz and Gasly showed early pace, but Verstappen, Norris, and Piastri turned it up. Norris dropped a 1:27.481 — the new benchmark.

Leclerc, Russell, and Hamilton made solid improvements, while Antonelli continued to impress with top-five pace. The drama came down to the wire: Tsunoda squeaked through, while Alonso, Albon, Bearman, Lawson, and Hadjar were out.

Q3 – Chaos and Clutch Performances

Then came the turning point.

Just minutes into Q3, Norris hit the wall hard. His crash brought out the red flag and left him visibly frustrated on team radio: “I’m such a f***ing idiot.” Thankfully, he was okay — but his car was done.

Only Piastri had set a time before the stoppage, and after a lengthy delay, the shootout resumed. Verstappen laid down a 1:27.559 — just 0.001s ahead of Piastri.

But the battle wasn’t over.

George Russell fired back with a 1:27.407, temporarily stealing provisional pole. Then came Oscar Piastri again, lighting up the final sector to go fastest with a 1:27.304.

Yet in classic Max fashion, Verstappen saved the best for last. On his final flying lap, he nailed a 1:27.294 — breaking the track record and snatching pole by just a tenth.

Pos.	Driver	Team	Q1	Q2	Q3
01	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Honda RBPT RB21	1:27.778	1:27.529	1:27.294
02	Oscar Piastri	McLaren Mercedes MCL39	1:27.901	1:27.545	1:27.304
03	George Russell	Mercedes W16	1:28.282	1:27.599	1:27.407
04	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari SF-25	1:28.552	1:27.866	1:27.670
05	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes W16	1:28.128	1:27.798	1:27.866
06	Carlos Sainz	Williams Mercedes FW47	1:28.354	1:28.024	1:28.164
07	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari SF-25	1:28.372	1:28.102	1:28.201
08	Yuki Tsunoda	Red Bull Honda RBPT RB21	1:28.226	1:27.990	1:28.204
09	Pierre Gasly	Alpine Renault A525	1:28.421	1:28.025	1:28.367
10	Lando Norris	McLaren Mercedes MCL39	1:27.805	1:27.481	– :—.—
—	—————-	—————	———-	———-	———-
11	Alex Albon	Williams Mercedes FW47	1:28.279	1:28.109
12	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls Honda RBPT VCARB 02	1:28.561	1:28.191
13	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin Mercedes AMR25	1:28.548	1:28.303
14	Isack Hadjar	Racing Bulls Honda RBPT VCARB 02	1:28.571	1:28.418
15	Oliver Bearman	Haas Ferrari VF-25	1:28.536	1:28.648
—	—————-	—————	———-	———-	———-
16	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin Mercedes AMR25	1:28.645
17	Jack Doohan	Alpine Renault A525	1:28.739
18	Nico Hülkenberg	Stake F1 Kick Sauber C45	1:28.782
19	Esteban Ocon	Haas Ferrari VF-25	1:29.092
20	Gabriel Bortoleto	Stake F1 Kick Sauber C45	1:29.462

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Verstappen Steals Pole as Norris Crashes in Q3 Drama
Verstappen Steals Pole as Norris Crashes in Q3 Drama