Saudi Arabian GP 2024
MARCH 8, 2024
Qualifying Report - Verstappen takes pole over Leclerc
© Red Bull
Max Verstappen clinched pole position for the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in his Red Bull-Honda with a time of 1m27.472s, outpacing Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari by 0.319 seconds.
Verstappen's performance in Q3 solidified his position at the front, even though he did not improve on his second run. Leclerc, after struggling with a handling issue in the first runs of Q3, made a significant improvement on his second attempt, reducing the gap to Verstappen and securing the second spot on the grid, just ahead of Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull.
The qualifying session saw intense competition, with the Aston Martin-Mercedes of Fernando Alonso and the McLaren drivers, led by Oscar Piastri, closely following the leaders. George Russell managed to stay ahead of his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton, despite a mistake in the first sector of his final Q3 lap.
The session was briefly halted in Q2 due to Nico Hulkenberg's Haas stopping on the track, leading to a red flag.
Several drivers, including Valtteri Bottas, Esteban Ocon, and Pierre Gasly, were eliminated in Q1. Additionally, the session concluded with a note on Oliver Bearman facing an investigation for potentially not adhering to the race directors' instructions regarding the maximum delta time during non-flying laps.
Verstappen’s pole position marks his and Red Bull's competitive edge continuing where that left off from last season.