Jeddah, Saudi Arabia — Max Verstappen showcase him talent again for the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix by securing pole position after a dramatic qualifying session. Lando Norris, who lead the championship, crashed out in Q3, leaving him to start from the tenth position as his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri secured second place.
Verstappen’s performance on the Jeddah Corniche Circuit was impressive, clocking the fastest lap of 1:27.294 and displaying superb control during his final run. “I mean, very happy. I definitely didn’t expect to be on pole here after FP3. But the car came alive in the night, and it was a lot more enjoyable to drive,” he shared with enthusiasm.
Oscar Piastri, who showed promising pace during practice, described his run as satisfactory. He said, “To be honest, I was pretty happy with it. There wasn’t too much more left in that lap, so happy with the job I did. Our pace is good; it’s gonna be a tough race.”
George Russell of Mercedes was thrilled to take the third spot in qualifying, just 0.103 seconds shy of Verstappen. He expressed, “Before the session, I would have definitely taken P3, but knowing how close it was…”
As the session unfolded, Lando Norris tried to push beyond his limits but faced a fierce accident when he crashed into the barrier during Q3. After the incident, Norris admitted over the radio, “I’m fine, but I’m an idiot.” This resulted in an early end to his qualifying session, a major setback for the points leader.
With the new tires causing more challenges compared to previous seasons, many drivers noted the differences in strategy for the race ahead. Kimi Antonelli, alongside with Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, managed to secure their spots in the top five but are all trailing the frontrunners.
The grand prix has garnered plenty of attention with fans eager to see how the leading drivers will perform at such a high-speed circuit while navigating its tight corners at night.
Stewards set to keep a keen eye on track limits, as Verstappen and Antonelli already received lap deletions for breaching these limits during the session. As the excitement builds for the race on Sunday at 1 PM ET, it remains to be seen if anyone can topple Verstappen from his starting position.
