Verstappen Secures Saudi Arabian GP Pole as Norris Crashes Out in Q3
Max Verstappen delivered a spectacular performance under the lights in Jeddah on Saturday night, clinching pole position for the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The Red Bull driver edged out McLaren’s Oscar Piastri by just one-hundredth of a second, setting a blistering lap time of 1:27.294 to grab the top spot on the grid. This marks Verstappen’s second pole of the 2025 season and could prove vital, as every race this year has so far been won by the driver starting from pole.
The high-speed Jeddah Corniche Circuit once again provided a thrilling qualifying session, but the biggest talking point beyond Verstappen’s flying lap was the unfortunate crash suffered by Lando Norris. The McLaren star had been looking strong in the earlier stages of qualifying, posting solid times in Q1 and Q2, but his fortunes took a dramatic turn in Q3.
Norris lost control of his car during his first flying lap in the final qualifying segment, suffering a snap of oversteer that he couldn’t correct. The car veered off line and smashed into the barriers, causing significant damage. Though Norris was unharmed, the crash ended his qualifying effort prematurely, and he was unable to set a time in Q3. As a result, he will start Sunday’s race from 10th place on the grid—far lower than expected based on his earlier pace.
With pole position secured, Verstappen and Red Bull are in a prime position to continue their dominance in 2025. The Dutchman’s main rival for the race win could be Oscar Piastri, who missed out on pole by a mere 0.010 seconds. The McLaren driver looked strong all weekend and will be eager to capitalize on any mistake by Verstappen at the front.
Mercedes also showed solid pace, with George Russell taking third on the grid. He was just over a tenth of a second off the pole time, finishing 0.113s behind Verstappen. His rookie teammate, Kimi Antonelli, impressed with a fifth-place result, putting both Mercedes cars in the top five.
Charles Leclerc secured fourth for Ferrari, with a gap of 0.376s to Verstappen. His teammate, Lewis Hamilton, will start from seventh, just behind Carlos Sainz in sixth. Sainz continues his impressive run with Williams, again showing that the team has made a significant step forward in performance this season.
Yuki Tsunoda, driving for the Red Bull senior team in 2025, continued to show steady progress and qualified eighth, followed closely by Alpine’s Pierre Gasly in ninth. Both drivers will be looking to capitalize on any chaos in front of them during Sunday’s race.
With Norris starting 10th after his crash, the full Q3 standings looked like this:
Q3 Results:
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 1:27.294
2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – +0.010
3. George Russell (Mercedes) – +0.113
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – +0.376
5. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – +0.572
6. Carlos Sainz (Williams) – +0.870
7. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – +0.907
8. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) – +0.910
9. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – +1.073
10. Lando Norris (McLaren) – No Time
Several notable names were knocked out in Q2, including Alex Albon, who continues to deliver consistent performances for Williams but just missed out on the top 10. Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar, both racing for Racing Bulls, were eliminated along with Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin and Haas’ Ollie Bearman.
Q2 Eliminations: 11. Alex Albon (Williams)
12. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)
13. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
14. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls)
15. Ollie Bearman (Haas)
The first five to exit during Q1 included familiar names like Lance Stroll and Esteban Ocon, as well as Jack Doohan, Nico Hülkenberg, and rookie Gabriel Bortoleto, who is still finding his footing in Formula 1.
Q1 Eliminations: 16. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
17. Jack Doohan (Alpine)
18. Nico Hülkenberg (Sauber)
19. Esteban Ocon (Haas)
20. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber)
No major penalties were applied after qualifying, so the grid remains unchanged heading into race day.
With pole position proving crucial in 2025 and Verstappen’s race craft nearly unmatched, the reigning world champion will be the clear favorite to take the win. However, Piastri, Russell, and Leclerc will all be gunning for a strong start and hoping to shake up the expected order early on.
Sunday’s race promises to be an exciting showdown at one of the fastest and most unforgiving street circuits on the calendar. All eyes will be on Turn 1 when the lights go out in Jeddah.
