Saudi Arabian GP 2025
APRIL 19, 2025
Qualifying Report - Verstappen seals pole as Norris crashes in Jeddah
© Red Bull
Max Verstappen claimed a dramatic pole position for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, delivering a vital boost to Red Bull amid a week of internal turmoil, while championship leader Lando Norris crashed out in Q3 early in the session.
With speculation swirling about Verstappen's future following a subdued performance in Bahrain, the reigning world champion responded emphatically in Jeddah. The Dutchman posted a blistering 1m27.294s to secure the 42nd pole of his career, edging out McLaren's Oscar Piastri by just 0.010 seconds in a fiercely contested session.
Mercedes' George Russell produced another solid qualifying run to take third, lining up alongside Ferrari's Charles Leclerc on row two. Row three features rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli with a breakthrough fifth-place result for Mercedes, ahead of Carlos Sainz, who delivered his strongest showing yet for Williams.
Lewis Hamilton, continuing to struggle with the Ferrari setup, acknowledged pre-qualifying that a top-10 result would mark progress—and he managed seventh. He starts ahead of Yuki Tsunoda and Pierre Gasly, while Norris rounds out the top 10 after crashing early.
Norris, who admitted earlier in the weekend to battling self-doubt, had looked competitive through Q1 and Q2. But his first flying lap in Q3 ended abruptly when he clipped the wall at Turn 5, prompting furious self-criticism over team radio and handing his McLaren team extra repair work overnight.
Behind the top 10, Alex Albon missed Q3 by just 0.018s and will start 11th alongside Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson. Fernando Alonso could do no better than 13th for Aston Martin, while Isack Hadjar and Oliver Bearman both reached Q2 but couldn't progress further.
Gasly survived though he recovered to reach Q3. His team-mate Jack Doohan starts 17th after failing to escape Q1, lining up just behind Lance Stroll.
Sauber endured a rough evening, with Nico Hülkenberg qualifying 18th and Gabriel Bortoleto ending up last after spinning on his final run. Esteban Ocon's Haas splits the pair in 19th.
With Verstappen back on top and Norris facing a recovery mission, Sunday's race promises another thrilling chapter in an unpredictable 2025 season.